Harry Potter and the Legacy Riddle
by Soulless Ghost
Summary: AU Set 15 Years after 'HP and the Second War'.  Old friends and a new enemy appear as the 'Chosen One' makes his way through the adult magical world.
1. Prologue: Breaking Statute

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): This is a sequel to my Seventh Year story 'Harry Potter and the Second War' so you'll probably want to read that one first as it lays out several background points for this tale. To my returning readers, thanks for waiting, hope you enjoy this one as well. Now, without further ado, Harry Potter and the Legacy Riddle.

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Prologue

**Breaking Statute**

Nighttime in a city, especially one as large as New York, was a very special experience for those that could relax enough to enjoy it. Once you came to understand the shadows and shapes and move within them there was something of comfort to it. Those very shadows that could hold danger also seemed to shrink the city down just enough that the mind could contentedly come to grips with it. Sure there were eight million people within a space you could easily see from a sufficiently high building, but at street level, able to just see the block you were on and the one past it, it was almost a cozy neighborhood.

At times like this knowing there's an all night coffee shop nearby adds even more comfort. And so it was on a late night in mid may that a woman who had grown up only a few streets away found herself seeking some of that comfort from her youth at _Joe's Joe_ with a steaming cup of strong black coffee. She had tried the big chains but that could hardly be called coffee for all the crap they put in it. She was seated at one of the small tables set right against the large front window with the cup in one hand and a folder full of papers spread out before her.

Her close cropped blond hair barely moved as she rubbed her eyes again and glanced up at the clock. Midnight was coming up soon but the caffeine would keep her awake as surely as the pounding in her head every time she looked at the papers in front of her. Six separate bundles held together by a paperclip each contained a small photograph, a summary sheet and a varying number of detailed reports. She had read them all, knew them nearly by heart and now was just getting more and more frustrated. It was like trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle without knowing how many pieces there were, what its final shape was or even what the picture was on the front. Taking another sip of coffee she pushed away from the table a bit.

She had always prided herself as being good with details, something that served her well in her current professions. But all the details in the world weren't helping her here. Instead she mentally set the papers aside and let her eyes drift around the room. The shop was, as it had been since she entered, nearly empty. The lone barista had polished the same glasses three times already and was currently bent over what appeared to be a college textbook reading in a bored fashion.

Between them at one of the center tables sat an older balding man. He had glanced up briefly when she entered and had been the only other person there when she arrived. He had sunken eyes and the wrinkled skin of age. A grubby coat was wrapped around a well worn suit as he sat drinking his fourth cup of coffee in an hour. He also had papers slightly spread out on his small table and quickly covered their contents whenever the barista came near to offer him a refill, something she was obviously growing more and more unwilling to do.

Swiveling her eyes across the small shop she let them fall on the only other occupant of the room. He had arrived only a few minutes after she had and silently ordered something a quick glance had been unable to discern. Immediately afterward he had taken a seat in the very corner of the store, propped a foot up on another chair and pulled out a hardback book from his coat. The coat itself was a long duster style overcoat with several pockets inside and out large enough to hold the book at least. A matching wide brimmed hat hid much of his head from view. Occasionally however she could catch a glimpse of his face. It seemed to be early middle aged and hadn't changed expression in the time he had been here.

The strangest feature however was the fact he was wearing dark wrap around sunglasses despite the actuality it was the middle of the night. He hadn't seemed hampered by it though and had no problem navigating the shop or apparently reading his book. The only odd quirk, other than the glasses, was the fact his right hand seemed to move up towards his shoulder every few minutes of its own accord as if reaching for something. It quickly returned to its normal position on his raised leg a second after each movement. Despite those being the only odd things about him, she still got the sense there was something not quite right about him. It was almost as if he didn't quite belong in this world, his was perhaps a degree off to the side but he was doing a passable job of existing in this one.

Mentally keeping half an eye on him she returned her gaze to the papers on the table and tried one more to fit the pieces in where they belonged. In ten years with the Bureau it was by far the strangest case she had every heard of. It wasn't even officially her case. The Bureau had an officially unofficial team it sent to investigate cases this bizarre and she wasn't part of it. Her station chief however had known of her interest in strange happenings and gotten her a copy of the file as well as some time away from normal duty to see what she could make of it. So far it had been several wasted weeks of chasing ghosts.

So far half a dozen victims had been identified across the country. Each of them had suffered similar fates and each had been found with not a mark on their bodies. The creepy part, and what interested her, was that they were all alive. None had been killed but something that seemed equally horrific had taken place. It seemed each of the victims had been put into a kind of waking coma. Their eyes were open; they kept breathing and would respond to sufficiently loud stimuli, but, to quote an old phrase, "lights on, nobody home." It was as if their memories, thoughts; their very minds had been wiped out leaving them a hollow shell of a person.

She had met with one of these victims and the memory of it still creeped her out. That look of nothing behind blank eyes had been worse than looking into the glazed eyes of death. She had never exactly got used to that but some sort of acceptance eventually came. This though was just unnatural. And that was why the unofficial team had been called. Medical examination could find nothing physically wrong with the body but the mind emitted almost none of the energy waves consistent with a human. More than one neurologist had been spooked off the investigation, several vowing never to think about it again. Whatever was going on was beyond the boundaries of science to explain.

Speaking with the families had been a similarly trying experience. They were more reticent than usual to talk about themselves and their lives. She had multiple times run into walls where they had simply kicked her out of the house when she became overly interested in some small detail. Didn't they understand she was trying to help? Letting out a long sigh she glanced once more over the case profiles that had been included. Despite hours of attempts there was no pattern she could pick out between them. The victims were men, women, young, old and lived all across the country. She couldn't even find any evidence they had known each other. And it was exactly that maddening facet of the case that had driven her to a coffee shop in her old neighborhood fifty miles out of the way in the middle of the night.

Wiping her eyes once more she tried to take another sip of the stiff brew but found the cup empty. Glancing up she realized the barista was either too interested in her textbook or too set on not looking at the man in the center of the room to raise her eyes away from the page. Collecting the files back into the folder she decided to rise silently and get the coffee her self. Striding slowly across the floor she passed the balding man just as he turned toward her with several papers in his hand. She failed to dodge in time and several of the sheets were knocked loose to fall to the floor. She immediately moved to grab them.

"I'm terribly sorry sir. Let me-" She reached down toward the closest sheet.

"NO!" Moving more quickly than she would have thought his old frame was able he pushed her to the side and scrambled to the floor to collect the sheets himself, quickly stuffing them into a nearby folder. Taking several moments to collect herself she stumbled to the counter and set down her cup. As the barista reached for the nearby coffee pot she noticed one of the papers had slipped away near her feet. Picking it up, she held it out as a peace offering.

"Sir, I'm very sorry-" Again his much too fast hands stabbed out and grabbed the sheet, ripping part of it off in her hand and causing her to stumble. As her arms flailed to regain balance his eyes seemed to see something within her coat and immediately grew wide.

"YOU! How did you find me?! No matter. You'll never live to tell any one!" A split second later as she managed to regain her balance a small stick seemed to appear in his hand. She stared at it dumbly, not understanding what was going on. In ten years at the Bureau and five on the force before that, she had had a lot of things pointed at her threateningly from guns to knives to one lunatic with a cut off plastic bottle. But never before had she confronted a simple stick. Why it looked as if it would break should she flick it with her finger. Reflex kicked in a heart beat later and her hand raced for her jacket to the pistol she always carried. The man was now pointing the stick straight at her chest while holding the folder in his other hand as his lips moved again. "Avada Keda-"

"Expelliarmus!" Something blue cut across her vision and forced the man to jump backward away from her. A moment later a brown blur appeared from the side of her field of view and collided with the man sending him reeling backward. He reached the glass windows and smashed through to roll out onto the sidewalk. The brown blur followed a second later as a loud cracking sound came from out side. A voice came from the now stationary brown shape that matched the strange word that had apparently saved her. Though saved her from what she didn't know. "Come back here you son of a bitch!"

With a yell of disgust the brown shape turned and stepped back through the window. As it reached the light, the shape resolved into the man that had been sitting in the far corner of the shop just a few moments earlier. A stunned moment later she realized he too was holding a wooden stick, lighter colored than the other man's. A flick of the stick later the shattered bits of the window flew back into place and reformed into an undamaged pane of glass. He physically picked up the few pieces of knocked over furniture and grabbed the files waiting on the table she had been sitting at.

Finally the dark lenses fell to her and he stopped. She realized after a second that it was because her reflexes had done their job and leveled her pistol at him. He stared at it a long moment before speaking. "You gonna shoot me?" Her grip tightened as she tried to regain some composure.

"FBI, Freeze!" The man seemed unfazed by this pronouncement and continued staring at her. "Take your hat off!" After a moment's hesitation and a shrug his free hand set the files aside, slowly rose and removed the hat to reveal a head of short brown hair. "Glasses too!" He hesitated again.

"Look, I really don't have time for-"

"Now!" He shrugged again.

"You asked for it." In a swift move he removed the glasses to reveal not eyes but the sunken black sockets where it looked as if his eyes had been gouged out. In the heartbeat of frozen terror his stick moved again. "Expelliarmus." The woman felt as if she had been lightly punched right in the chest as the gun was torn from her grip. It landed in his hand a moment later and he quickly stuffed it into a pocket having already replaced his glasses.

Grabbing the files again he stepped up quickly and shoved them into her now empty hands. "Hold these." Stooping he grabbed the fragment of paper she had torn off and glanced it over. She could only make out the top word as being 'Potter' before it rolled out of her line of sight. "Crap." Stuffing it into a pocket as well he pointed the stick again, this time at the barista. A second later her eyes got a glazed look and unfocused as if she was daydreaming. The stick disappeared into his coat and he took her arm in his now free hand. "Come on." She froze in place refusing to move. "Listen, you want to catch the guy that did that?" He pointed to the folder. She could only nod dumbly. "Then come along." She still refused to move.

"No. I want some answers! What just happened? What did you do to her? What's going-"

"Listen very carefully." The intensity of his voice coupled with the dark lenses over what she knew were hollow sockets rendered her speechless. "There are answers and I can give them to you in exchange for your help with this guy. But you have to come along right now. I really don't have the time to argue with you. Otherwise I'll just Obliviate your memory as well and then it won't matter." He took a few steps toward the door and turned back. "Coming?" After a moment's consideration she nodded. As she started toward him he reached out a hand and his hat flew across the room to it. Settling it back over his head, he pushed her out the door.

Once out into the night air he didn't slow down and continued a quick stride with a hand on her arm, his eyes looking around huntedly. Ducking into the first alley they came across he began cutting back and forth across several blocks until she wasn't even sure where they were. Ducking into a nearby subway entrance he paid both fares and pushed her aboard the first empty train car headed anywhere but here. Looking up and down the train he seemed satisfied that whatever he was looking for wasn't waiting for him. Settling into a seat he took a long breath. She sat across from him. A moment later his head rose.

"We have a few minutes. Your questions?" Here mind was reeling but she managed to form coherent sentences.

"What was all that?"

"Magic. It's real and there's a lot of it, but it's also very well hidden."

"How come I've never seen…?"

"Because there's an international restriction against letting non-magical people see it. The fact that I saved your life is the only thing that's going to keep me out of Azkaban tonight. A fact I need you to testify to, hence one of the reasons I was reticent to immediately wipe your memory."

"One of?"

"Yes. The other is that case file." His finger indicated the one she still had clutched to her stomach. "You see, we've been following the same man. I'd run out of magical leads and thought you might be able to come up with something so…I was following you. I thought maybe you could lead me to him." She blinked several times in rapid succession at the revelations.

"So…you're like some sort of magical cop?" His head shook slowly.

"No. We have those but I'm more of a…private investigator I guess. I have a particular affinity for tracking darkness. And yet I couldn't recognize it fifteen feet in front of me. Guess that's what a decade of semi retirement gets you." She gawked at him now. He didn't look anywhere near old enough to retire.

"Retirement?"

"Yeah. I'd had enough of magic for a while so I just sort of decided to fade into the muggle world. Until this case pulled me back in."

"M-muggle?"

"Non magical people." He pulled the scrap of paper out and glanced at it again. His voice was tinged with anger and…desperation as he spoke. "Oh Merlin." Stuffing it back into his pocket he glanced up to the location board before letting his head drop. Several moments passed in silence before she spoke again.

"You didn't pay for your coffee." His lens settled back on her with what should have been a quizzical expression.

"Lady, I just broke about sixteen wizarding laws and I'll be lucky not to have wand snapped and my ass thrown in jail. Skipping out on the check is quite literally the least of my problems." He let out another long breath and she could see him building his defense in his head. It was a look she remembered well from many people she had interviewed over the years.

"So that's why you ran away from their so quickly?" He could hear the slight accusation in her voice and his head rose to meet it.

"Partly. There are members of the Council that feel any violation of the Statute of Secrecy is an imprisonable if not death worthy offense. My best hope to save my life and your mind is to get to the council first and convince them that your help is valuable enough to preserve what you know."

"Valuable how?"

"Helping to solve this case. They've had no more luck than I have. I need to convince them your knowledge and contacts are worth the risk of knowing about us." A moment later she could hear him muttering to himself. "Ten years since I retired and my first fight since might cost me my wand. Perfect." After several minutes of silence and muttering too low for her to hear, she cleared her throat to get his attention.

"So…what's your name?" After a long moment during which she thought he wasn't going to answer he glanced over.

"Alex. Alex Keystone."

"Katherine Patinkin. Pleased to meet you. Thanks for saving my life." She extended a hand and after a moment's hesitation, he took it.

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For a job with a description as exciting as 'Dark Wizard Hunter', there was an incredible amount of paperwork in being an Auror. Ron had never liked paperwork, had actively dodged as much as possible in school to the point of relying on help to pass. But now at least he could see something noble in the endless stack of documents that seemed to pass over his desk every week. This had point and purpose, it was going somewhere, it meant something to people. There was a reason beyond learning the name of an obscure plant or an unheard of magical fact. This was worth doing Ron told himself. 

Also, Hermione refused to help him.

In truth he couldn't blame her; it was _his_ job after all. And so Ron continued one sheet to the next, dotting every I crossing every T and affixing his signature in the hundreds of places that it seemed to be required. Stacking the individual case files together he set the stack in the out bin for one of the many departmental clerks to collect and file away. The pair of file cabinets in the office corner held the active files he and his partner needed quick access to. Tapping his wand on several interdepartmental memos he watched as they folded themselves into airplanes and took to the air, heading out of the office door like a flock of bizarrely shaped birds. After making sure they got off okay he set down his wand and glanced around the office.

It was fair size for the Ministry. Large enough to work comfortably in but not big enough to be presumptuous. The door in the corner looked out over the many clerical and junior Auror desks that filled the center of the offices. Straight in front of the door along the wall was a comfortable sofa that he and his partner used to interview people or catch the occasional nap on. Ron has spent the night on it a couple times during important investigations. The file cabinets were just past it in the corner. Against the opposite wall from the couch was a pair of large desks back to back. Ron currently sat at the one facing the windows on the same wall as the door. For several years he had sat at the other desk but he didn't currently have a partner he felt comfortable with watching his back. That would be changing soon. Turning in the wooden swivel chair he glanced out across the fake vista in the charmed 'outside' window currently moving on into evening and smiled a little.

Life was good.

"Oh Ronald?" The sing song voice made him smile even wider. Turning back to his desk his eyes swept the picture frames there and found the one he sought. A little bigger than his hand it held what had to be the most beautiful face in the world. But this was no ordinary picture or even a magical one. This was a two way mirror that had been specially made for him by his incredibly attractive and monumentally talented wife. Who also happened to be in the frame and smiling wider herself.

"Why Hermione, what a pleasant surprise. Fancy seeing you here." She rolled her eyes at the comment, after all this time more endeared than annoyed at his jokes.

"Yes, fancy that. So, are you going to be home soon? Rose is telling more tales about Hogwarts to her brother and I'm not sure I can keep up correcting her much longer." Ron mocked surprise at the statement.

"Hermione Weasley not wanting to correct people? I never thought I'd see the day!"

"Oh ha, ha. Seriously." He smiled again and nodded.

"Yeah. Give me fifteen minutes to close up shop and I'll be right there."

"Okay. See you then. Love you."

"I love you too." Hermione turned and walked out of frame a moment later. Following her his eyes drifted over to the next frame which held a photograph of the recent family trip to Spain. It had been a heck of a two weeks during which Rose and Fred had had all sorts of fun pretending to be muggles during the world's largest tomato fight. They stood there, covered in splattered red pulp grinning like idiots. Even Hermione had managed to be relaxed enough to sling the squishy weapons. Speaking of muggles… The family was expected at her parents' house for the weekend. The kids would be staying with their grandparents for a few days. Hermione was going as far as impounding Rose's wand just to make sure she didn't try casting magic while they were there.

His eyes slid the other way to find a picture of his sister and her husband. This he stared at a little longer and made a mental note see if he could get a more recent picture of them. The one he had was just shortly after their wedding and they had changed much since then. Breaking out of his reverie a moment later he picked his wand and looked over the desk. With a tap ink bottles were stoppered, papers were organized and the desk calendar advanced itself a day. Standing up he pulled on his traveling overcloak from the cloak rack near the filing cabinets.

Moving his wand almost by rote he locked up both desks, magically sealed the filing cabinets and disillusioned the large bulletin board that hung over the desks. None of it would stop a determined attack. The point was merely to keep out overcurious clerks. Stowing his wand, a wave of his hand turned out the lights. The same hand traced the edge of the other desk as he passed it. It was now virtually empty as it had been for nearly two years. Soon though it would be full again. Full of his stuff. Once his partner returned they would both take over their old desks.

At the doorway he glanced back and could almost see the man sitting in his normal chair. A smile crossed his face. It would be good to have his partner, his best friend back. It would be good to have Harry back again.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	2. Ch 1: The Two Professors

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Fifteen years is a long time. Wonder what he's been up to...

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Chapter 1

**The Two Professors**

Harry thought it amazing how much stuff it was possible to acquire in such a relatively small office in a mere two years. His second trunk was nearly full and he still had a few thinks to pack. Taking a moment out from sorting through it all he dropped into the chair and glanced around the office. Six different people had occupied this office and seven this position in his tenure as a student at Hogwarts. There was something poetic about the fact he was now the Defense Against Dark Arts professor. For a couple hours more at least. When he had originally been offered the post by Headmistress McGonagall two years ago he had been dumbfounded. He had no lack of confidence in his own abilities but why did she want him to teach?

That had been the sticky point it seemed. The curse on the Defense job had managed to persist despite Voldemort's death. Through accident or choice it seemed no one had managed to stay at the job for more than one year. Though the parade of professors over the intervening time had been much more adequate than some during Harry's days, it still made for a badly disjointed learning experience among the students. So after what the Headmistress had determined was the absolutely minimum amount of time had passed since his stellar graduation, she had approached him about taking a crack at breaking the curse. As he now closed the book on his second year it seemed he had finally done away with the last little bit of Tom's touch on the school.

Rising from the chair he headed over to the wall and took down a few pictures. The first two were of the two classes that had graduated under his watch. He could see amongst them familiar faces, the children of people he had known in his own student days. Next came the photograph of the last Dumbledore's Army meeting that had helped to inspire him during his run as professor. If he could teach his friends, why not the students in the classroom? The last he pulled down was a picture of the Order of the Phoenix on the day they had at last been retired. Little more than a year after his graduation they had captured the last of Tom's followers meaning it was no longer needed.

Piling them into the trunk he again searched around the office for anything that might still be his. Double checking the bookshelf again for a book he might have missed his eyes just caught the movement at his door. Whipping around he had wand drawn and pointed at the entry in a heartbeat.

"Whoa! I didn't do it!" Harry's wand fell as his face broke into a wide grin.

"Hey Neville." Neville, now Professor Longbottom had braced himself in the doorway and was looking around with a grin on his face. It was strange thinking of the clumsy, shy and pudgy boy Harry had first known over twenty years ago, a boy who even then had the courage to stand up to him, compared with the trim, confident man before him. Neville had taken the lessons learned in Professor Keystone's class and kept them. He hadn't, what was the term…, 'gone to seed.' Between working in the greenhouses and his own routine Neville was even fitter than when he had graduated.

"Professor Potter." Harry knew he was in better shape too. He hadn't gained as much muscle mass as Neville, but he made it up in reaction time. He could still play seeker professionally if he wanted to. But that was something he had chosen to leave behind to spend time with his family. He now really was the spitting image of his father. Harry glanced at the clock, its battery operated hands serving as something of a reminded of the muggle world he saw so rarely now.

"For a couple hours anyway. Have a seat." Harry motioned to the chair in front of the desk. Neville sat a moment later as Harry fell into his chair, convinced no more of his books were on the shelf. "So what brings you by?" Neville shrugged in that way that clearly said there was a purpose but no need to rush it.

"Oh, you know. Professional courtesy and all that. Came to see a favorite colleague off."

"Well thanks for coming. You can help me with the trunks." Neville cracked a grin at that before glancing around the room.

"So…what's left to pack?" Harry followed his gaze and shook his head slightly.

"Nothing really. Next person can always send me whatever I miss."

"True." Neville's eyes finally came to rest on the desk where a lone white envelope was sitting. "What's that?" Harry picked it up and showed off the address. 'Headmistress McGonagall' was scrawled on the front.

"This…is my official resignation from Hogwarts as a professor."

"You haven't delivered it yet?"

"I'm going to on my way out."

"As long as it's not being chased off by Peeves and a heard of centaurs." Harry chuckled at the memories that brought up.

"No, I think I can manage something a little more dignified than that." Silence fell for a moment and they glanced around the room. For two years it was suppose to have been his main residents but between spending nearly every weekend at Grimmauld and quite a few dinner hours there this place felt more foreign than anything else. Apparently Neville misread the long look he was giving their surroundings.

"Sure you want to go?" Harry paused for only a moment before nodding firmly.

"Yeah. Teaching Rose was weird enough, I can't imagine how it would be having my own kids in class. Besides, would you really want your father teaching while you were here?" Harry paused for a moment before realizing what he had said. "Oh, Neville I'm sorry." Both of Neville's parents had finally succumbed to the damage done to them in the last few years. The man however waved it off.

"Don't worry about it. I had plenty of time to come to grips." He paused in way painfully familiar to Harry before his face lit back up. "So…James will be coming next year right?" Harry nodded thoughtfully, visions of his eldest son passing before his eyes.

"Yeah. Turns eleven in June. He's so anxious he could burst. Makes me wonder if not finding out there's a magical world until the last minute like I did might not be easier." Harry contemplated this thought but immediately dismissed it. The cost of that way for a magical child was far too high. "Ginny's going a little crazy between him and the twins reeking havoc so much of the time. Thank Merlin Lily's more like…" Harry faltered for a moment. Who was their second child more like? Ginny was just as prone as he was to screw around. "Molly I guess." After a pained heartbeat he quickly amended, "Or my mother from what I've heard."

"How is Ginny these days? I haven't seen her in oh so long." Harry cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Yeah…what's it been, a couple months since you saw her at the memorial?" Neville's eyes drifted noncommittally to the side.

"Maybe…" Harry shook he head at his friend's actions but decided to play it a little further.

"You know, you ask about her a lot. Is there something going on between you two I should know about Longbottom?" Near the end Harry had slipped into the same voice he often used to question suspects as an Auror. Either Neville was caught completely off guard or was playing his part rather well. It became readily apparent it was the latter as he threw his hand dramatically against his forehead and affected a horribly put upon voice.

"Oh no! Caught by my own words! You've found us out Potter. The torrid, passionate affair your wife and I have been engaged in for years." Harry bit his own tongue to lock his face in a serious stare. It did nothing to deflect Neville's performance. "Well, best a full confession! It began at the Yule Ball in fourth year. After that night we knew there would never be another for either of us. I stole her heart, a secret we kept hidden from the world." Neville had now risen and was flailing around dramatically as he continued. "The poor girl knew what was expected of her, did her terrible duty and married you. Even went so far as to bear your three sons."

He turned flamboyantly at this point. "Yes! Just the sons! You see, the reason Lily is so different is…I am her father!" Harry had a hand clamped over his mouth physically holding the laughter in. "And now that you know, you must die!" Neville summoned a toy plastic dagger from mid air and charged toward Harry. On the second step he tripped on the chair, fell forward and with great fanfare fell on his own dagger. Leaning on the edge of the desk he began gasping. "Alas! Speared by my own weapon!" Neville began sliding out of sight down the front of the desk. "I should have known better than to attack the Boy-Who-Lived! Forget me not my only love! Potter's…money…" With a last gasp he flopped to the floor, stone dead.

Harry couldn't take it anymore and exploded in a fit of laughter that quickly reduced him to tears and beating on the desk to keep his head from exploding. Minutes late when he managed to raise his head enough to glance, he found Neville sitting lazily in the chair, fake dagger still embedded in his armpit. The man noticed his glance and bounced his eyebrows a couple times in response. This only sent Harry into further hysterics and it was fully ten minutes before he could bring himself under any sort of control. Pulling a handkerchief out of thin air he removed his glasses and began wiping his eyes and face. It was still a couple more minutes before he could compose himself enough to be able to speak. Neville had also been laughing rather heartily after once again demonstrating why he was so sought after at parties. None would think it watching him tear up whole sections of the gardens in a terrible vigor but he was quite the showman. As if to point out the dichotomy Harry just now noticed a few patches of dirt on the other man's robes.

Finally again with the power of speech Harry spoke. "I needed that. But you see, even without your performance, I knew there was nothing going on."

"Really? You think?"

"I do indeed. You see a little read headed bird told me something rather interesting about you." He now had Neville's attention. There could be no doubt who the bird had been. "Apparently you've been spending rather a lot of your free time with a certain blond haired reporter. She works for the _Quibbler_ I believe?" Harry stumbled for just a moment as the eleven year old boy appeared before him for a heartbeat, red faced and embarrassed. "So…what of it?" A moment late the man returned as Neville pulled himself up straighter in his chair.

"And how did your little bird happen to hear this?" Harry shrugged.

"Got me. I'm not going to ask. A guy could go mad trying to figure out that web. So…is it true?" Neville tried to stay passive but a reluctant smile gave him away.

"It's not like I've been spending all my free time with Luna, but we have gone out a couple times. She does have rather more interesting things to talk about than my students so it's a nice reprieve." Harry waited a moment but no more information was offered.

"And?" He gestured for Neville to continue, which just received a shrug. "Come on man! If I go back to Ginny with just 'they've gone on a couple of dates and she interesting to talk to' she's going to kill me! You got to give me something! Anything!" Harry's hands were almost in a begging position. Neville seemed to think about it for a moment.

"What do you want me to say? She's the best shag I've ever had?" Harry's hands slapped to his ears.

"Ah! Ah! No! Don't say things like that! Don't even think it! Scarred, I'm scarred for the rest of my life! Mentally this time!" Risking dropping his hands he looked back up to find the man silently laughing. Harry could only shake his head. "Seriously…" Neville calmed down after a minute.

"Seriously? She a lot of fun. She's…really out there, like she always has been, but the older I get the more attractive that becomes. Almost…like a little bit of my youth right there in front of me. I…seriously don't know where we're going…but it's been a fun trip so far." Harry smiled at the revelation. He wouldn't pretend to be smart enough to see where it might lead but he could offer well wishes.

"As long as you're happy, what more do you need?"

"True. So…" After a moment he glanced around and started to rise. "That about does it?" Harry glanced around as well and nodded. Everything was packed and it was well and truly time to leave. Lifting himself out of the chair he picked up the letter addressed to the headmistress and drew his wand. A flick sealed the second trunk and a swish made them hover a few inches off the floor. Returning the wand to the well worn sheath on his arm he grabbed the traveling cloak hanging near the door and, with a flick of his wrist, settled it over his shoulders. After a gesture Neville led the way out. Harry stepped from the office and out into, for a few more minutes at least, his classroom. The trunks floated silently behind the pair as they headed out into the halls and toward the entrance.

Reaching junction in the corridor Neville slowed. "Well…I've got some things to take care of in the greenhouses before break." He held out his hand which Harry took immediately. "Take care of yourself Harry."

"You too Neville. Say hi to Luna for me."

"Will do." Turning off to the side Neville headed for a side door that would let him out near the plants he enjoyed so much. Following his movement for just a moment Harry turned and continued on his way. It was odd the way his footsteps echoed in the empty chambers. Such was Hogwarts sans students. The empty corridors were almost eerie and he wondered for a moment just how Dumbledore had managed to stay here all the time. The fat friar drifted through the wall ahead of him and gave a nod. He returned the gesture as the spirit passed through the other side.

Reaching the entrance he found Headmistress McGonagall seemingly waiting for him at the top of the stairs. In the years since taking over for Dumbledore she had gained much of his bearing and confidence. A certain mark of wisdom now rested in the corners of her eyes though it did nothing to diminish the severity of her gaze. Her personality though had softened somewhat to more closely resemble her predecessors. As Harry approached she broke into a wide smile.

"Professor Potter. Heading home?" He smiled at the title one last time.

"Yep. For good this time." He held out the letter for her. After only a second she grasped it and flipped it over in her hands.

"Your official resignation I assume?" He nodded. "I'm sorry to accept this but I can understand your misgivings about teaching your own children." He nodded again slowly.

"Yeah… Here's to them having the same teacher for all seven years."

"Indeed." She paused for a moment during which she slipped the letter into her robes. "Thank you for doing this Harry. It may be superstition but that counts for a lot around here." He smiled at that.

"No problem Minerva. I'm glad to help. I left my lesson plans and student notes in the office along with a few bits and bobs." He glanced once more back down the corridor and surprisingly noticed Peeves slinking this way and that, apparently bored without anyone to annoy. His gaze swung back around to the Headmistress. "Take care Headmistress."

"You too Mr. Potter." With a last nod Harry turned to the open doors and strode out into the daylight. The short trip across the courtyard was refreshing to his senses and he took a deep breath of the afternoon air. Passing through the main gates his eyes fell on the Quiddich pith and he had to fight the familiar urge to dig up a broom and cruise around the field. A decade as a professional player had worked it right down into his blood. He and Ron had retired at nearly the same time and were seen as a devastating loss to the Cannons who still struggled to recover. Their choice had been plain though and none could fault them for choosing their families over the game.

Fighting down the feeling he continued on. A glance the other way picked out the massive form of a man that could only be the Keeper of the Keys and his oldest magical friend Reubeus Hagrid. His hand rose a moment later in a wave that was quickly returned. After being cleared of the charges that had caused his original dismissal the man had been allowed a new wand and had taken several classes to catch up. Though he would never be a standout wizard, it at least put him on equal footing with the rest of the professors and parents he had to deal with. His confidence had also been greatly boosted at being named head of Gryffindor house after McGonagall's transition to full time Headmistress.

The trek down to the relatively quiet Hogsmeade passed rapidly and he glanced back and forth as he strode along the main street. Most of the shops were closed since no students were there to buy their goods. Passing what had once been Zonko's he glanced through the window to see someone moving inside and taking inventory. As she stood he recognized Verity staring back at him. After a moment she waved. She had been so valuable at the flagship store that she had been given this, the Hogsmeade branch of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to manage. The twins had built quite a little empire in the last decade and a half. Harry knew he hadn't been the only professor guilty of buying something here. He waved back and continued on.

Arriving at Hogsmeade station he glanced around at the deserted platform. It hadn't really been necessary to come all this way, the apperation barrier was a good deal closer to the school. But he had developed a routine of leaving from the platform that he'd felt disinclined to change. Waiting a moment for the trunks to settle on either side of him he leaned down and gripped one in each hand. Taking a last breath of the Highland air he turned on the spot and dissapperated.

A moment later he popped into existence in the entry hall of a well appointed house. The portrait to the side stood empty for the moment with just a comfortable chair and a small table. He had only a moment to glance around though before he heard light footfalls coming from multiple directions. From down the hall a red haired blur appeared sliding into view from the direction of the library. "Daddy!" He knelt down as the blur crashed into him and wrapped its arms tightly around his neck.

"Ah…there she is. How's my favorite daughter?" He could feel the laugh against his neck as she pulled back and stared at him.

"I'm your only daughter."

"Okay, how about favorite girl under the age of twenty?" Her eyes lit up as she smiled at that. "Did you have a good day Lily?"

"Well I-" She was cut off as two boys with extremely dark red hair dove into him on either side of her and nearly bowled Harry over.

"Dad!" The yelled together while choking off the little bit of air they hadn't already knocked from his lungs. Extricating himself from the tangle of arms he glanced at the identical looks of his youngest children. "Evening Albus, Sirius." The pair glanced at each other. The one on the left spoke first.

"I'm Sirius, he's Albus." Harry stared directly at him and responded with out any hesitation.

"No, you're Albus, he's Sirius." After a moment the twins shook their heads.

"How do you always know?"

"Practice. So, what have you two been up today?" Eerily similar mischievous grins crossed their faces as they responded in a synchronized sing song voice.

"Nothing…" Harry could only shake his head in response.

"You two have been spending way too much time with your uncles."

"You mean Gred and Forge?"

"Yeah. Them." Harry's smile was rueful as he looked past his slightly miffed daughter to find his eldest son standing in the doorway to the family room, patiently waiting his turn. He nodded once. "Hi James."

"Hi dad. Good day at work?" Harry nodded in response.

"Just fine." James had moved into a strange place in the last few months where he thought he was above hugging his parents and preferred this less personal greeting. Harry let him have the small measure of independence. The boy would be going off to school in a few months and he wouldn't have his parents there all the time anyway. James's black haired head turned as he wandered back into the family room. The twins followed, doubtlessly to pester him, leaving Lily once again alone with her father. Harry focused on her brilliant green eyes. She was an eerie ghost of her namesake. "Lily, I'm sorry. Do you want to meet me up in the workshop and you tell me all about your day?" He smile returned melting away the previous annoyance.

"Yeah!" Turning, she tore up the stairs to the third floor where he knew she would wait patiently beside the correct door until he got there. She didn't really have a choice as the magical locks on the entrance kept nearly everyone out. "Hi mom!" Harry turned from hanging up his cloak on the stand near the door and lost his ability to breathe. An angel was standing half way up the flight of stairs looking quizzically after her daughter.

"What did I tell you about running in the…oh…never mind." He gaze swung back to Harry and his face melted into a wide grin as she descended the last few steps. "Welcome home." Her embrace was slow, controlled and wonderful. The kiss nearly stopped his heart as it did every time he saw her. After a moment she pulled back.

"Evening love." Ginny Weasley had lost none of her figure even after granting him four children. That fact she had alone made her even more attractive in his eyes. "Merlin, I missed you." He was met with a sharp poke in the chest.

"Ho do you think I feel? You haven't spent one night home in three weeks. I'm going a little crazy here."

"I'll make it up to you, promise."

"Damn right you will." She stepped back and glanced into the family room where the twins were hovering near James. "Better go take care of that. I believe you have an appointment with another young redhead?" Her finger rose to point up.

"Alas I do. Later?"

"Oh, you can bet on that." Giving him a wicked grin she headed for the family room. Harry followed her with his eyes before forcefully breaking the contact. Taking a deep breath he leaned down and grabbed a trunk in each hand. He could have simply recast the hovering charm, but he liked to do these things manually at home so he didn't lose his physical edge. Reaching the third floor he very nearly regretted the decision but arrived at his bedroom door just in time. Setting them off to the side he turned to find Lily obediently waiting for him. Grabbing the door knob he felt enchantments give way as the door swung smoothly open. At a gesture his daughter stepped through and quickly took her normal seat at the main table.

He pulled down a tattered and beaten copy of a sixth year potions book and set it on the table as well. Flipping randomly through it he stopped on a rather simple anti venom and stopped. Pushing the book silently across the table he watched Lily's eyes scan it. After a jerk of his head she hopped down and headed for the supplies rack to grab the ingredients she could reach. As he grabbed the rest and moved the cauldron to the table between them she lined up what she had collected in neat little rows. "So…tell me about your day."

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	3. Ch 2: The Boy Who Huh?

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 2

**The Boy-Who-huh?**

A quiet tapping at the window made Harry's eye twitch slightly. After a moment it happened again. Slowly coming around to consciousness he waved his hand vaguely in the direction of the casement and heard the satisfying click of the catch releasing. A moment later one side of the window swung open and he heard a rustling of feathers sailing around the room. A light thump landed on the bedcovers and the rustling swooped around to disappear back out the window. He managed to find his glasses and slip them on just in time to see the pane close and a little brown blur sail off into the distance.

Blinking several times he cleared his vision somewhat. Rolling a little to lay flat on his back his arm fell to the side searching for what he already knew wasn't there. Ginny of course had been up for hours while his lazy bones slept in. Pushing himself a little ways up the head board he glanced at the clock. It was already half past ten in the morning. Letting that sink in for several moments his eyes finally found the letter the owl had dropped off. He was immediately surprised. He had already been home three days and Ron had only now written him. Hermione had probably been holding him back. Tearing it open he glanced over the hurried scrawl.

_Hey Mate,_

_Glad to hear you're home. Work's been dull as  
anything without you and the paperwork's driving  
me batty. Come back soon!_

_Ron_

_P.S. Hermione sends her love and wants to make sure  
we're still on for dinner._

Harry smiled to himself at the short note. Ron never had been much of a writer but he would talk nonstop once the two of them got together. Setting it on the desk he tossed back the covers and rose. Collecting the appropriate clothes he headed for a shower.

Harry stretched once more as he slid his wand into the special pocket sewn into his khaki slacks. Pulling on an old Cannons shirt he headed out into the house. It was still quiet despite the late morning hour as he made his way past the several sealed rooms that shared the third floor with his and Ginny's bedroom. The workshop was just to the right as always while the room to the left had been converted into a nursery with the arrival of James into the family. The repurposed War Room was one of the most closely guarded rooms in the house as it contained mementoes of Tom's reign. Ron and Hermione's guest rooms waited as always for their owners to come visit. They hadn't come by with their kids in a while but Harry could sense another trip was imminent. He had paced the hallway that connected the rooms thousands of times in the night with each of his children lulling them back to sleep.

Heading down the stairs he passed the similarly quiet second floor. Lily, coincidentally, had decided on what had once been her mother's room as her own. Of course it might have had something to do with the fact James was right across the hall. Despite being offered their own rooms the twins had decided to share and taken the slightly larger room at the end of the hall. There was a roughly scrawled 'Keep Out' sign hanging from their door even now. On the other end of the hall were the guest rooms. One assigned to each of their cousins and relations when they dropped by for a day or a week.

Heading down once again he turned from the final stair and came face to face with a familiar old man. "Good morning Professor."

"Good morning Harry." The portrait of Albus Dumbledore had gained back some of the knowledge its real life counterpart had initially denied it and that look of wisdom had returned to his eyes. "All right then?" Harry nodded slowly.

"Great. You?"

"Well...Minerva is going a little crazy trying to find someone to replace you but I'm confident it will all work out in the end."

"I'm sure it will sir." The man drew out a small pocket watch and glanced at it.

"Oh, I'm sorry I must be going."

"Quite all right." With a mutual wave the man stepped to the side of the chair and disappeared. Harry finished the turn and headed into the kitchen where at last he found some activity.

"Good morning Master Harry!" The voice was less of a squeak than it had once been though the large round eyes had lost none of their shine.

"Morning Dobby." The elf was putting together this and that into what Harry could only assume would be lunch. At seeing his employer though the creature rapidly switched gears and soon had a breakfast plate on the table. Harry pulled it over in one hand and a copy of the _Prophet_ in the other. He knew the paper was courtesy of Winky. He hadn't quite wanted to give the paper his home address so he had her go and fetch it each morning. With her elf magic it actually arrived sooner than by owl. Taking a bite he glanced up at the industrious little being. "Dobby…where is everyone?" Dobby stopped and turned.

"Mistress Ginny left this morning with all four of your children for Diagon Alley." Of course. She had mentioned that last night. Ginny felt, and rightly so, that the kids shouldn't become insulated in this house and it was important to have regular contact with the magical world at large. To that end she took them somewhere, usually the Alley, at least once a week. The only thing that worried him was how much of that time the twins were spending with Gred and Forge. Pushing it out of his mind he turned back to the paper and ate as he paged through.

After living through the War it was hard to find an issue really amazing anymore. But now that he was a full fledged adult and parent, other things caught his attention. There was little to excite this morning however as he glanced through the headlines. The announcement of his returning to work at the Ministry was pushed all the way up to page three from lack of anything to write about. The events of his life had been well chronicles before the War and continued to be followed even now. _The Daily Prophet_ had learned the limits of what he would allow when it came to prying into his personal life though some of the less reputable publications still tempted fate with supposedly shocking exposes. There was a small office in the Ministry that kept an eye out for possible libel against its employees. He sent them a gift basket once a month out of guilt for tripling their workload. Finishing the paper and breakfast at the same time he set both aside and rose. "Thanks Dobby."

"Of course sir." The sound of a front door closing caught his attention and he quickly strode to the kitchen door and up the stairs. A chorus of greetings hit him as his children blew past him and scattered to the four corners of the house, leaving their mother to carry the remaining bags herself. Taking hold of the ones she held out to him, he leaned in and kissed her lightly.

"Morning."

"Morning. I got those ingredients you wanted. Do you have any idea how much dragon liver is right now?" Harry could only look at her confused.

"Ingredients?" She nodded distractedly as she flipped off her traveling cloak and hung it next to his.

"Yeah. Lily gave me that list of things you wanted." Harry didn't immediately respond, instead his eyes had trailed off down the hallway where his daughter had disappeared toward the library.

"Did she now?" Ginny caught the tone and looked up.

"What? Did you not give her that list? I just figured with all you father-daughter potion making time…" Harry turned back. Ginny's description had been apt. Potion making was the thing he shared with his daughter, the time just the two of them spent together talking. He had no real skill with it but he worked hard since Lily was so enamored with it. With James it was chess and the twins beating a practice bludger around the yard. Lily always had been more studious and he knew first hand the value of potion making skills.

"No I gave her the list. I just expected her to research them instead of buying them. I'll go talk to her." He turned with the bags in hand when her touch on his arm stopped him. "I'll go easy on her."

"It's not that. When we were in Flourish and Blotts today someone recognized us, someone who apparently didn't get the memo, and started asking her what you're like. I ran them off a minute later," she held up a hand to forestall a comment, "no I didn't hex them…this time. But now she's wondering why you're so interesting. She was asking me about it and I…deflected the question with ice cream. She'll figure it out soon though." After a moment Harry nodded.

"Okay. I'll take care of it. Need a hand with the rest of those?" She shook her head and headed up the stairs.

"I've got it. You go talk to our daughter."

"Right…" Taking a deep breath Harry headed down the hallway to seek out his child. He found her a minute later, as expected, curled up in one of the comfortable chairs that inhabited the family library. Harry had enlisted Hermione's help after James had been born to cull from the collection anything dark or dangerous. Given the house's history they had ultimately removed a good chunk of them to a closet in the War Room upstairs. After a moment Harry fell into the chair facing hers and set the bags down heavily on the table between them. He could hear a few bottles clink together as he did so.

After a moment Lily's eyes rose from her new book and glanced to the bags before settling on him. "Hi dad." Her gaze was fixed in a way Harry was very familiar with from his youth. It was a look that knew she had misbehaved but wasn't going to say anything on the hopes she hadn't been found out yet. In response Harry let his lip curl in the fake smile that told her instantly she had been caught.

"Hello." He gestured to the bags. "Your mother just informed me she was kind enough to pick up the list of supplies I wanted. Imagine her surprise when she found out I wasn't expecting them, or mine when she told me you gave her the list." He could see the deep swallow and guilt crossing Lily's eyes. "So?"

"W-well…I…" He could see her eyes rolling back and forth trying to find a way out of this. "We would have needed them eventually…" Harry let just a little bit of heat into his voice.

"You lied to her. You lied to you own mother." Lily shrunk back just a little. When she spoke her voice was small and a little frightened.

"Yes…" Harry let out a long breath.

"Lily… I appreciate your enthusiasm for potion making, really I do. But how can I trust you to help me in the workshop when I find out you've been lying?" The girl's eyes fell and he could sense tears not too far away.

"I…I'm sorry dad." He waited for a moment to let her stew before sighing and softening his voice.

"Good. You should be. Honesty is one of the most important things you can have. Lying like this…I'm disappointed Lily. I though you would be the last one to ever do this." He could tell that stung her worse than the first. He didn't expect any of his children to lie, but coming from Lily it had really been a sharp blow. She was acting like…like… A Slytherin he finished ruefully. Still, she was repentant so that was something. He would just have to put off using any of this stuff for a while. That would be her penalty. She was still on the verge of tears so he softened his voice even further. "Is it ever going to happen again?" Her head shook fitfully side to side. "I expect not. If it does I'll lock you out the library for a month." Her head popped up, stark terror in her eyes. "That's what your mother likely would have done already if I hadn't told her I gave you the list to study. Don't make me regret that." Her head whipped rapidly side to side.

"I won't!" He waited a moment longer as her head came to a rest. Slowly her eyes crept back up, not quite sure it was okay to make eye contact.

"So…what book did you get?" Her face lit up immediately at the question. Here was safe territory, a place she felt comfortable. With enthusiasm she lifted the book and spun it around to show him the cover. A very familiar building looked back at him from her hands.

"Founders Four: The Origins of Hogwarts." Harry smiled as she read the title aloud.

"How is it so far?" In the few minutes she had owned it she had already gotten several pages in.

"Um…dry. I'm sure it'll get better though." Harry smiled to himself at her unwillingness to speak badly of any book no matter how dull. After a moment he refocused on something else. She immediately caught the seriousness in his voice and set the book aside as he spoke.

"Your mother mentioned something else. She said while you were in Flourish and Blotts some one approached and started asking about me." She nodded slowly. Harry could see the questions behind her eyes but she waited, not wanting to push him too hard for answers, unsure of what was allowed. "Do you want to know why?" She hesitated for a moment before nodding firmly. "Then follow me." Collecting the bags he rose and started for the door. He heard her much lighter footsteps follow as he headed down the hall and began climbing the stairs.

Reaching the third floor Harry thought back to the previous year when James had started asking questions about his father right after his tenth birthday. He had been shocked at the story his father had laid before him and it took most of a month for the surprise to wear off. Now, with Lily nearing her tenth birthday it was her turn to learn the past Harry and Ginny had shielded their children from for so long. He turned back to see Lily's wide eyes as he opened the door to the War Room and gestured for her to enter. Her hesitation was palpable as she looked into the room. And with good reason. This was the one room of the house the children were absolutely forbidden to enter under any circumstances. As such it generated huge amounts of interest among them.

"Come on." Again he gestured and this time she took several hesitant steps into the room. "Have a seat." She slowly climbed up onto one of the stools surrounding the large central table and looked around the room. It stood much as it had fifteen years ago after the end of the Second War. Bits and pieces had been collected for most of Harry's last year at school and well into the following year as well. The last real changes had come when he had returned from his honeymoon with his new bride and together they had organized the space. Lily slowly turned a circle as her eyes flitted from one thing to the next. Harry's followed them as he reminisced.

Just to the side of the door was the history wall. The events leading up to the war were told in headlines and photographs. The original Order picture hung there as well as the headline of his parents' death. Right at the edge to the next wall was the headline proclaiming the return of You-Know-Who.

The main wall was divided into three core sections. On the left were large photos of the Order of the Phoenix just before the battle of Hogwarts, Dumbledore's Army at a similar time and various other individual photos of those that had fought Voldemort. In the center was a large map of the British Isles with lines coming off in all directions connecting places on the map to specific headlines and notes stuck to the board all around it. The third part contained individual photos of many Death Eaters, including at the top one of a young Tom Riddle. Most of them had a red X scratched across them signifying their death.

The third wall contained a visual record of the triumphs that had come from the years of war. Harry was featured most prominently, his large 'Heroes of Hogwarts' photo immediately catching the eye. Other pictures of him, Ginny, Ron and Hermione as well as headlines proclaiming victories and the end of the war filled up most of the remaining space. The desk under all these clippings held two small frames which contained the most amazing collection of objects. One was the multiple Order of Merlin medals Harry had won. The other contained Ginny's.

The final wall, directly behind Lily's seat, held a history of everything that had happened since then. Headlines such as 'Potter Joins Aurors' and 'Potters' First Born Son' were splayed across the wall intermixed with thank you letters and well wishes at every event of his life. Lily looked over all of this with a strange shock in her eyes.

"As you can see…I'm famous. I have been for a long tome. That's why that man wanted to know about me." He fell silent and waited. It was clearly a surprise and she needed time to come to grips with it. After several minute her gaze returned to him.

"W-why are you famous?" Harry took a deep breath to begin.

"Sixty-five years ago there was a man named Tom Riddle. Now, you know about the dark arts a little. He fell about as deeply into them as possible and became a dark wizard of the fiercest order. Now, some years later…" he told her a little about Tom's rise to power, how her grandparents had risen as well to fight him and the sacrifice they had made. He touched on the legend of the Boy-Who-Lived and Voldemort's resurrection. He then tracked through the rise again of forces to face him including the Order and the DA using the pictures on the wall to illustrate. Then he went through the Second War and the battles he had fought his final year and the ultimate combat on the grounds of the castle itself. He told the story of his life to daughter that looked as if she barely recognized him now.

"And the reason I haven't told you before is that I knew how hard it was to live with such a legend over my head and both your mother and I wanted to spare you that as much as possible." He fell silent again and waited a moment before reaching out to the desk near the door. A book flew out from a small collection there and slapped into his hand. Setting it on the table he slid it over to her. She looked down to see his much younger face looking up at her.

"The Man Who Lives. A biography of Harry Potter by…Hermione Weasley?!" She was startled at the last and looked up to him for confirmation. "Aunt Hermione?" He nodded slowly.

"Yep. She wrote that right after the war." Lily reached out and grasped the book firmly. Here again was familiar territory, something she could understand. "Now, I'm going to ask you to make the same promise James did when I told him. I want you to promise not to tell your younger brothers about this. They'll find out in their own time. Okay?" After a moment's hesitation she nodded.

"Promise."

"Thank you. If you have questions or want to talk about it, ask me, or your mother, or your aunt and uncle. Okay?" She nodded again. "So…any questions right now." She thought long and hard about that and a thousand potential queries passed her eyes. Finally she just shook her head.

"Maybe after I read…" She lifted the book a little. He nodded in response.

"Whenever you're ready. I'll be here." His eyes glanced up to the clock hanging on the wall. "But right now I bet lunch is ready. Shall we?" He gestured to the door which brought a smile to her face. Racing ahead of him down the stairs she dropped off the book in her room before walking side by side into the kitchen where the rest of the family had already gathered. Harry met Ginny's eyes for a moment and gave an infinitesimal nod which she immediately returned. James seemed to have noticed the look and his gaze swiveled around to his sister, a knowing light in his eyes.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	4. Ch 3: A Day in the Life

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 3

**A Day in the Life**

Harry was up, showered and dressed earlier than he had been in days. The white dress shirt, dark slacks and black shoes had been his under robe clothes for previous years and now was no exception. Checking that he had his wand comfortably concealed up his sleeve he glanced around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. It had been two years since he had made this trek and he wanted to make sure it was all there. Convinced he had everything he slung his outer robes over his arm and headed out the bedroom door.

There was a spring in his step and a smile on his face as he descended to the kitchen and kissed his wife good morning. The kids hadn't gotten up yet and he had a few minutes to spend with her while rapidly consuming breakfast. Kissing her goodbye several minutes later he nearly bounced up the stairs and down the hall headed for the back door. Exploding out into the dawn sunlight he took a deep breath. Releasing it again he marched across the backyard and into the shed that stood on the edge of the property.

Pushing through the stubborn door he stepped into the dusty building. Grabbing a large tarp over the object in the center he gave it a swift tug. With a magnificent spray of dust it fell to the side revealing the motorbike he had inherited from his godfather. Stuffing his official Ministry robes into one of the saddle boxes he grabbed first the brown leather jacket and then the helmet, putting on both. A wave of his hand pulled back the sliding door to reveal the narrow alley behind the house. Seating himself firmly on the bike he reached for the key and started it up. As the bike hummed to life he pulled out of the shed, which closed automatically behind him, and started down the alley.

Gaining speed he reached the end of the alley and the broad cross street. After glancing each way he pulled out into the empty road. The ride, his first in months, was exhilarating, almost as much as flying. He had to fight hard not to push the innocuous red button positioned just below his right thumb that would cause the bike to take off. Ginny would never let him ride again if he got caught on his first day returning to work. And Ron would never let him live it down. Should he run afoul of the law on the streets he had his license in one of the jacket's pockets. He had come by this legitimately as he felt it was an important skill having grown up muggle. The same drive had pushed Hermione and later, at her urging, Ron to get driver's licenses. The legitimacy of Ron's, however, was a matter of some question.

Turning deeper into the heart of London Harry only had to think for a minute to make sure the turns he was almost automatically taking were correct. The city was just starting to wake up as he cruised through it, a near silent phantom on a vintage ride. Making a last turn he found himself in a narrow alley between very old brick buildings. Creeping along it he came to a large dumpster just a little bigger than his bike. Shutting down the engine and stepping off he reached out to touch the corner of the box. A moment later the end facing him swung open to reveal a completely clean compartment with a track to accept the bike's wheels. Starting the front wheel in he retrieved his cloaks from the saddle box and hung the helmet over a handle bar. Wheeling the machine the rest of the way in he silently swung closed the door on it. Almost immediately the whole box disappeared. It had taken a good deal of finagling to get this little perk of the job set up but the Ministry had been willing to please at the time and it had happened quickly.

Turning, he strode quickly up the alley and arrived at a red phone booth a few moments later. Stepping in he punched in 'MAGIC' followed immediately by his personal identification number. The woman's voice sounded a moment later. Only instead of the usual questioning of identity is was simply a greeting.

"Good morning Mr. Potter."

"Morning." He didn't know if anyone could hear his voice but it felt odd if he didn't respond. After a few seconds the elevator began to lower into the street. Harry enjoyed the blackness as he usually did on arriving each morning. He had faced death and the unknown, darkness held no fear for him. His eyes slowly adjusted to the light as he reached the lobby. As usual he had arrived in that small sliver of time between the early birds and the right on timers. As such only the receptionist and security guard were there to notice his approach. Passing the lines of fireplaces he approached the receptionist. "Good morning Gloria."

"Good morning Sir." She was kindly old witch, clearly picked to be comforting face to people first entering the building. Looks were deceptive though as her mind was sharp as a tack and she somehow managed to keep track of nearly every coming and going throughout the day. She would doubtlessly have heard he would be returning to work just as the elevator had alerted her to his arrival. "Good to see you back."

"Good to be back." Passing the desk he waved to the security guard. He was young and Harry didn't recognize him from his last stint here. The man was staring at his jacket, clearly not at all used to seeing something so mugglish in the Ministry itself.

"Uh…sir? Can I see your ID?" This surprised Harry enough to make him pause and he noticed Gloria, tongue in cheek, observing the reaction. Turning on his toe Harry walked over to the man.

"Sure." Instead of reaching for a card, Harry pushed up his bangs. After making sure the man had seen his forehead clearly he stuck out the hand. "Harry Potter. Nice to meet you Mr…?" After fumbling for several second the man belatedly grasped the offered hand.

"Archer, Will Archer. Sorry sir, I didn't recognize you and protocol and everything…" Harry waved off the concern.

"Never apologize for doing your job. As an old friend of mine often said, 'Constant Vigilance.'" The man rolled the phrase around in his head for several moments.

"And…who was your friend?"

"Alastor Moody." Leaving the man in stunned shock Harry turned and continued on. He glanced up at the magnificent golden fountain as he passed. It was still a lie though somewhat less than it had been. The Ministry had had a succession of progressive ministers in the mold of the reelected Fudge that had worked hard to reach out to other magical creatures with varying degrees of success. Some wounds just cut too deep, but it was a step in the right direction.

Reaching the bank of gold grilled elevators he chose an available one at random and stepped in. He found himself humming quietly as the door opened on the fourth floor to admit several memos. Reaching the second floor he followed several of them out. One flew straight across the center area and into his destination. "Morning all." The pair of junior department members and the lone clerk already in stared at him for a moment before responding with an uncertain good morning. They were all new as well. Much had apparently changed in the couple years since he had been here full time. Without checking he knew they were watching him round the low desks and head for one of the offices.

Passing several, one including a snoring man, he finally came to the door he had been searching for. He glanced at the golden lettering on the wooden door as he pushed it fully open.

**Auror Office #102**

**Harry Potter – Ronald Weasley**

A smile crossed his face at that. His name was slightly shinier as it had been in storage for the last couple years. A wave of his hand brought up the lights to reveal a familiar sight. Ron's desk, the one nearer the door, was neat and full. Papers and new files sat in one corner, picture frames in the other and several notes stuck to the calendar fluttered weakly in the breeze opening the door had created. Harry stepped past it and slipped off his coat. Hanging it on the far side of the cloak rack he shook his robes to straighten them and flipped them over his shoulders. A few buttons later and he had gone from looking absolutely muggle to a perfectly normal wizard. He had considered for a time getting red robes for work in honor of his Quiddich memories, but Ginny had quickly talked him out of it. Instead he settled on green, purposefully several shades lighter than Slytherin robes and more of a match for his eyes.

Dropping into his own chair he swung around to face the desk. He just caught a glimpse of the few people out in the main office staring wide eyed as they realized who he was. His gaze caught another memo flitting through the room and followed it as the plane cruised to a stop on his desk and unfolded. Compared to Ron's, his desk was nearly empty containing just a calendar, quill, ink and the personal desk lamp. He could fix that in due time. First though he grabbed the memos. Flipping them around he read the first arrival to start.

_Mr. Potter,_

_It gives me great pleasure to welcome you back to the ranks of the  
Aurors after your two year teaching sabbatical. I trust your office is  
still satisfactory. As is policy you will not be assigned cases until  
you have had a couple days to settle in, unless there is dire need.  
Again, welcome back._

_Arthur Weasley,  
Head, Magical Law Enforcement_

Harry read the note twice over while smiling. Folding it in half he set it aside and grabbed the second one.

_Mr. Harry Potter,_

_It is my great pleasure to welcome you back to the Ministry for the  
first time during my tenure. I look forward to working with you  
to help the magical world. If it is not too much of an imposition I  
would like to introduce myself personally. This afternoon at 2  
would work well for me. Please write if you can accept a visitor  
at that time._

_Thank you,_

_Aurelias Canton,  
Minister of Magic_

Having first hand experience with ministers from his youth it still surprised him how humble this new breed of political leader could be. It seemed to work though as the Ministry's reputation had steadily risen throughout the world during the intervening years. Swiping a sheet of parchment off Ron's desk he quickly wrote a reply in the affirmative, almost signed it 'professor' and tapped it with his wand. The paper folded itself and rose into the air, shooting out the door.

"Whoa! Look where you're sending those things." Harry looked up to find his best friend rising from a quick duck and smiling at him. Harry nearly exploded from the chair to hug Ron and clap him on the back. After returning the gesture they broke apart. Harry stepped back allowing Ron access to the cloak rack. After hanging up his traveling cloak the man turned back. "Wow. It's been so long since you've worn those robes I damn near forgot what they looked like." Harry smiled at that. Same old Ron.

"It feels good to be in them again. Teaching was fun but this…this is my life."

"Damn straight. So…shall we?" And that was it. Though they hadn't seen each other in a couple months, there wasn't really anything else to say. Ron's wand appeared and Harry could feel the various locking charms on the desks and filing cabinets release and melt away. A second later the bulletin board appeared with all the current case data displayed. Each man dropped into their own chair and Harry glanced around. This was the office he remembered. "First up…" Ron grabbed the top of the files sitting on the corner of his desk and opened it up. Harry put up a hand to forestall him.

"Actually, I'm not allowed to work on any cases for a couple days, Ministry Policy." Ron rolled his eyes at that.

"Ministry policy, for which you have always been a stickler. Fine, don't work. I'm just going to sit here and read out loud to myself. If you happen to overhear and offer a thought or two of your own, well that can hardly be called work can it?" Harry shook his head. "Exactly. So…first off we have a report here of a Beatrice Musken. Apparently Ms. Musken has been doing interesting things with rabbits. Things that have her neighbors spooked." Ron handed over the filed complaint which Harry glanced through.

"Now that does seem a bit unnatural. If it's true. Check it out?" Ron nodded agreement and scrawled a note on his calendar. Next we have…" A knock at the door interrupted him. They both looked over to see a young clerical witch holding a small box.

"Mr. Potter? This just arrived for you down at the mail room." Harry was surprised how much more natural being called Mr. had become. Apparently two years teaching had been useful for something. At his gesture she set it on the desk.

"Thank you…?"

"Faith."

"Thank you Faith."

"Yes sir." Turning she headed back out into the main office. Noticing the rising volume out there as people had arrived Harry waved his hand to close the door. Ron was staring at the box.

"What's all this then?" With a flick of his wand Harry sliced through the tape and opened the flaps. Reaching in he pulled out the first object, a small picture frame.

"The stuff for my desk. I had it sent straight from Hogwarts when I left."

"Smart."

"Yep. Please, continue." As Harry unpacked and positioned the picture frames, mementos and other objects around the desk Ron read off the reports that had been dropped off early this morning. After a couple hours they had both finished and Ron separated the files into 'dismiss' and 'investigate' piles. Just as they finished up and sharp knock came at the door. It opened a moment later to reveal the Head of Magical Law enforcement.

"Mind if I come in gentlemen?" Ron answered, as he usually did being closest to the door.

"Not at all sir." Arthur Weasley stepped into the room and closed the door. He turned first to Harry.

"Mr. Potter, I just wanted to welcome you back personally. The department hasn't been the same with you gone."

"Thank you sir."

"Of course. Now, I was wondering if you two would be willing to take on a little additional work?" The duo glanced at each other for a moment before nodding simultaneously. "Excellent. You see, we have several junior grade Aurors that aren't getting as much field time as they should. So I was hoping you two could take them under your wing for a week at a time, really give them some up close experience." Ron and Harry again glanced at each other, the pros and cons being weighed with flicks of the eyebrow. Harry was the first to nod a response.

"Sure. We can take a crack at it." Arthur nodded.

"Good. I'll start the program Monday."

"Okay." After another firm nod Arthur's features softened. He'd set aside the supervisor for a moment and become the father-in-law.

"Really Harry, it's good have you back. Ron was going a little crazy operating by himself. Not that we could have found someone willing to try filling your shoes even if we looked."

"Well, it's good to be back. Do I really have to wait until next week to start working?"

"Would anything I say at this point matter?" Harry considered the question for a moment before shaking his head. "Well then, let's assume I stuck to policy and said yes. You two have a good day." He turned to the door. Just as he reached it he glanced back. "Oh, Harry? Molly wants to know when you're bringing the kids by again. She hasn't seen them in, and I quote 'a hundred years'." Harry contained a chuckle at that.

"Maybe this weekend. I'll talk to Ginny."

"Okay, thanks." Pulling open the door he stepped out and headed back to his office.

"You know… It's not as weird as I thought it would be working for my own dad."

"I think the trick is keeping it professional as much as possible. So…what's next?" Ron glanced around the desk for a few moments before his head came up with a gleam in his eyes.

"How about some dueling practice?" The idea struck Harry like a thunderbolt. He nodded rapidly.

"Yeah…it's been a while since I've had to fight at any sort of professional level." The both rose from the desks and headed out the door. Passing through the main office Harry waved to a number of people who either returned the wave and welcomed him back or stared dumbly wondering who he was. Heading to the elevator they descended to the basement and the practice arenas.

After a couple hours of practice, during which they attracted a good sized crowd, a long lunch hour found them returning to their office just as two o'clock rolled around. The Minister was as cordial in person as his letter had been and after offering a welcome and a few polite inquiries after friends and family, bowed himself out. Passing the rest of the afternoon in catching up on active case files and playing a game of wizard's chess, Ron's distraction on the cases nearly leveling the play field, closing time soon arrived.

Harry found it amazing that after two years away he fell into the pattern of shutting down the office so easily. He and Ron worked in well practiced movements putting away files, locking desks and turning off lights. Harry glanced around as he walked out. It was good to be back. "So Ron, you're coming over for dinner tonight, right?"

"Yep. The kids have been looking forward to it for weeks."

"Good. See you then." Harry stepped in the elevator leading to the visitor's entrance and as it began to rise, watched Ron disappear. Collecting his ride from the hidden storage compartment he stowed his robes once more and enjoyed the cruise home.

Hanging the Ministry robes up just inside the back door Harry stepped into his house. He could hear footsteps from upstairs echoing on the ceiling. Two sets, which would be the twins tearing back and forth through the halls. The slow steps in the library told him where Lily was just as the tapping foot in the family room revealed James's location. None of them rushed to meet him this evening, likely they hadn't heard him yet. That was fine; they would be together soon enough. Harry glanced down a side hall to find Ginny emerging from her office and stopped cold. After her short stint with the Harpies as Chaser she had stepped back into coaching role that allowed her time with the kids. Still officially on the pay roll she was frequently consulted by the rest of the staff as she had a gift for correcting problems.

She smiled as she met his eyes and closed the distance with a light kiss. "Welcome home."

"Evening. How was your day?"

"Well, James spent most of the afternoon trying to find the pieces to his chess set after the twins hid them so we all had a grand time dealing with that. And Lily's having a bad hair day, which I blame on you by the way." Her eyes cut to his unruly hair. "So…same as always. You?"

"Oh, you know. Sorted case files, met the Minister. Same old thing. Which reminds me, Molly's wondering when we'll be bringing the kids by. I said maybe this weekend?" Ginny thought this over for a moment.

"Yeah…that will work. James will be happy; he only gets to fly when we visit. Speaking of visitors…Ron and Hermione will be over this evening right?" Harry nodded firmly.

"Yeah, they should be here any-" A pair of cracks came from the hall. "time." They turned and headed up the hall to find Ron and Hermione had arrived with their two children. Rose held her mother's arm for a moment before disengaging. She had Ron's height and his hair. At only fourteen she was nearly as tall as her mother. Gideon on the other hand was still relatively short and had his mother's hair. Having just turned eleven he was looking forward to Hogwarts despite the wild tales his older sister often told him. He pushed off his father as quickly as possible and began searching the area for his best friend. A pounding of feet indicated not just James but all of the kids had arrived.

The four friends shared hugs while the kids were more subdued in greeting each other. After only a minute of welcoming ant taking of cloaks the whole group descended to the kitchen and the magnificent dinner the house elves had prepared. While the adults conversed and ate normally, or as normally as Ron ever did anyway, the kids whispered amongst themselves eating as rapidly as they could. It seemed only a couple minutes before James asked if they could be excused. The word 'yes' was barely out of Ginny's mouth before all six shot off in a blur and tore up the stairs, doubtlessly headed for the second floor, leaving the adults staring after them. Hermione shook her head a little.

"Wow…our kids. Who would have thought all those years ago?" Harry considered the woman for a moment, thinking about just how much she had changed in that time. He was vividly reminded of the ageing spell she had cast on herself in seventh year. The resulting image was very close to what sat before him now, mature, smart and confident. After finishing his biography, which combined with his endorsement, had guaranteed the financial security of her family for the next five generations, she had continued as a writer. As well as helping swing the public opinion around to increasing the rights of house elves, she had lead a crusade for the benefit of other magical creatures that had many positive influences in recent years. Having accomplished that much she also turned to magical invention and was instrumental in helping develop many new objects over the years.

"Well…we really didn't have much time to think about it, did we? Spent most our time trying to figure out how to survive long enough to think about kids." Harry found himself nodding with Ginny's analysis. He, even more than the others, hadn't really considered the future until after the final battle. But now he couldn't think of anything he'd rather have than this.

"Still…" Ron had his head cocked to the side, thinking about it. "Even with the constant threat of death, those were fun times. I still can't believe some of the stuff we got away with. I keep wondering if I imagined some of it."

"Like what mate?"

"Like, did we really assault the Ministry and save the employees from Voldemort? It just doesn't seem to fit with my life now." Ginny smiled.

"Oh, it happened. But I know what you mean. Lily was asking me about Harry after someone called him famous the other day and I started thinking about the part I had played in those days. How did she handle it when you told her?" At this point she glanced to Harry.

"About the same as James. When I gave her the book she seemed more willing to let it sink in. Almost like the text was a safety blanket.

"Really," said Ron. "Who else do we know like that?" His eyes cut slyly to his wife who looked indignant while the others chuckled.

"Ronald Weasley! I have never used a book like a safety blanket. I just used them to help me focus and…evade having to think about things…like you…" They all smiled at that and settled into reminiscent silence. After a few moments Harry's ears caught the sound of light footfalls on the stair. Looking up he found his daughter standing at the door, waiting, as if not sure she wanted to continue.

"What is it Lily?" Having been seen she had no choice but to enter. Her voice was stronger than her bearing would have indicated as she raised a book Harry knew very well. He didn't need his younger self staring back at him to know what the silver letters on blue said.

"I…I have some questions now." Harry smiled and waved her over.

"Well then, have a seat. You'll find no better group of people to answer them." Harry was only marginally surprised as she padded over and took a seat next to her mother. They both noticed she sat a little farther away than normal, as if not sure quite what Ginny was anymore. James had done the same thing after reading the book, though it had taken considerably longer and a period of detached silence first. Harry didn't like keeping things like this from his children; it reminded him of the way things had been kept from him in his early years. Ginny didn't either. But after a long conversation they had decided it was for the best to dodge the subject until the kids got old enough to really understand what had happened.

A general notice had gone out at James's birth and after the birth of each of the other kids not to approach them in public about the Second War. By and large the magical community had kept in line with only a few people not taking the hint. They often ended up on the receiving end of one of Ginny's more powerful curses. Lily collected her thoughts for a moment before looking directly at her father.

"Did…did you kill people?" And just like that, there it was. It was exactly this point that had caused James's behavior the previous year. He had assumed from the accounts in the book that the answer was yes and felt betrayed his father had kept this from him. It was only when he had finally come and talked with both of them that he began to understand and accept. Harry neither blinked nor looked away as he answered.

"Yes." The look in her eyes told him she had thought that would be the answer but had held a small bit of hope it would be contradicted. She arrived at the next question far fast than her brother.

"Why?" This was the one that really mattered. The answer that had ultimately brought James around.

"Because if I hadn't my friends would have died instead. I wish every day I hadn't had to make that terrible choice between my friends' lives and my enemies. But I did have to make it and I chose to protect my friends every time. I don't regret it." Lily stared at him for a long time, never blinking, the gears in her head grinding silently behind her eyes. She had read the book, knew the type of people Voldemort and his followers were, understood the true horror of the things that Tom had done in his quest for power. But would that outweigh the knowledge her father too had taken life, even as an act of protection? Finally she pushed out another question.

"Does it hurt? Knowing you did it?" Harry considered the question for a long moment.

"Yes. I had hoped never to have to kill. But it's greatly overshadowed by my love. For your mother, for you and your brothers." Apparently that was sufficient and acceptable to her mind. After a few more moments she opened the book to an early section and Harry noticed she had stuck notes on several pages.

"What was it like growing up with your Aunt?" Harry smiled and felt the tension leave the others. Lily had apparently accepted his explanation and now moved onto to other queries.

"Well…I'm not sure you'll believe me but I'll try to describe it…"

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	5. Ch 4: Friends Old and New

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 4

**Friends Old and New**

Harry shot to the side, his hands extended as far in front of his Firebolt as he could manage. The broom was far from its top speed, but that wasn't the point. Coming so close he could feel the ball brush the tips of his fingers, he just missed the quaffle before it flew through the left hoop resulting in a loud cheer from Ginny, James and Sirius. "Come on dad! You're supposed to be good at this!" That was Lily diving past him to retrieve the ball from the weeds it had fallen into. He yelled after her as she swooped with surprising ease to grab it and headed back toward Albus.

"I am good at this! Just not as a Keeper! Go grab the snitch and we'll see who's good!" Lily just shook her head as she shot past him toward the other end of the field where her mother was hovering. Albus crossed under her to grab a sly pass while his brothers dove in from above trying to grab the ball as well. Harry glanced across to Ginny also riding a Firebolt and smiled. The kids were relegated to used, if evenly matched, Weasley family brooms while they played. Even Lily, studious though she was, had the love of Quiddich in her veins. Harry and Ginny were relegated to playing opposing keepers as any other arrangement made the game horribly unfair. Occasionally they would release a snitch and both play seeker for a change of pace through that defeated the purpose of playing with their children.

All of the kids were accomplished on a broom despite their age. Harry had considered waiting to let them fly until they were older, but he had loved it so much it felt wrong to bar his kids. He just made sure the brooms were sufficiently safe to keep them from really hurting themselves. And it made a wonderful family activity. He could easily see them making the house teams wherever they were sorted. Dodging off to the other side Harry managed to catch James's latest strike and hurl it off for Lily to grab.

After a couple hours and the falling of twilight Harry led the family in descending to the ground and stowing the borrowed brooms. The kids bounced the quaffle amongst themselves while Harry and Ginny followed them toward the house. His in-laws were waiting near the back door of the Burrow on a bench where they had apparently been watching the game. Molly rose and began fussing as her grandchildren reached them, sending all four off to clean up and change into pajamas. Through much pleading and outright begging the four had convinced their parents to let them stay for a couple days. The Weasleys had taken all of ten seconds to agree. Harry got the sneaking suspicion Molly was happy to have a bunch of children in the house again.

Watching them file into the Burrow followed by their mother, who had handed him her broom, and grandfather Harry was left with the woman that had virtually been his mother as well. "Don't you worry Harry. Arthur and I'll take good care of them." He glanced at her, surprised.

"Of course you will. I have firsthand experience to testify to that." He turned back to where his family had disappeared. After a moment Mrs. Weasley raised a finger.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot. I have something for you two." Harry was again surprised and followed her half hustled into the kitchen, setting the brooms near the door. Reaching the large table she turned and reached into a cupboard. "Now, I know your brood isn't quite as large as mine is…but I thought this couldn't hurt." Turning around she set a box on the table and slid it toward him. Opening it carefully he felt a tear fall unbidden. His glance shifted to the wall and found the clock, his hand still there and pointing to 'traveling'. And then he looked down into the box at its twin.

The names were different of course but it looked just the same. "I… I… Thank you." It was like a little bit of his once home right there to take with him. The memories that the gift stirred up nearly washed out her voice as she continued.

"I've thought about making one for you two for years, but with your son going off to school this year, I just felt the time was right. It'll start up as soon as you wind it." He couldn't help but turn and hug her tightly.

"Thank you. It's…great." Harry heard several sets of feet rushing back down the stairs and heading to the family room. He heard Arthur's voice a moment later.

"Gather 'round kids for the tales of _Beetle the Bard_. Yes, again James. Don't look at me like that. You know you like them." A moment later Ginny reached the bottom of the stairs and glanced at her children before continuing over to him.

"Ready to go?" He nodded and pointed down to the box. She likewise glanced back up to the clock on the wall before turning to her mother.

"Wow…thanks mum. It'll help in our big old house."

"I'm glad you like it. Now…don't worry, we'll take good care of them. And we'll all see you in a couple days." With a kiss she hugged them each goodbye and headed off to join her husband. Each grabbing a broom Harry and Ginny stepped through the kitchen door. Walking a little ways off they both turned on the spot and disappeared.

Arriving in the entryway to Grimmauld Harry set the broom aside and just had time to hang up his cloak before Ginny spoke. "Hmm…the whole house to our selves. However will we pass the time?" Harry didn't need to turn to know her mouth was curved up in a wicked grin.

* * *

Arriving a little later than usual at the Ministry Monday morning Harry arrived as the first wave of the just-on-timers showed up. As such it was busier than usual while he strode through the lobby to the golden grilled elevators. An interdepartmental memo that had been hovering around the room apparently waiting for him dove into his hand as he passed the reception desk. Glancing over it he found it to be a reminder from Arthur that the first pair of trainees would be arriving today. He was pulled from consideration of this by a pair of voices as he entered an empty elevator.

"Did you see Potter and Weasley sparring the other day?"

"Yeah! Potter must be the best duelist in the country!" Harry smiled to himself a little at that as a third voice joined in.

"Don't be too sure. I heard," whatever the man said at this point was lost as the grille clanged shut, "arrived in London last night. And you've heard the stories about him." Harry desperately wanted to hear the rest of the conversation but the elevator was already climbing away from the lobby and up to the second floor. The few words he had caught banged around his head for several minutes as the grille opened a couple times to let memos in and out. He was so distracted he rode all the way to the Minister's office before sheepishly dropping back down a story. Arriving at the second floor he strode quickly across the room intent on immediately telling Ron what he had heard.

Bursting into the office he was foiled by the fact Ron wasn't there. Instead he hung up his jacket, flung on his robes and crashed into his chair. An hour long minute passed as he grew increasingly anxious for his friend to arrive. Attempting to distract himself he grabbed one of the two case files sitting on the edge of the desks. To his surprise it wasn't a case file but one of the Ministry's personnel files. Suddenly interested he began reading the pages intently.

There was a small photo with the name 'Artson, Janet' written in severe script. She had done well at school, showed great promise as a transfigurationist, and done admirably in the Auror training program so far. Unfortunately she wasn't getting enough case experience and so was stuck as Auror in training. Harry continued paging through the file for several minutes and completely missed Ron's arrival. When he finally noticed him a few minutes later he had completely forgotten whatever it was he had been trying to remember. "Morning Ron."

"Morning. What's that?" Harry handed the file over to his partner and grabbed the other one.

"Briefing files on the trainees we're supposed to be helping this week. Looks like a good candidate there." Ron vaguely nodded to himself as he began looking over the file. Harry cracked open the one he had grabbed and just noticed the picture when a memo sailed in and landed in front of him.

"What's that?" Harry glanced over the note quickly.

"Security wants me downstairs. Probably meeting a new guard or something. Be right back."

"Sure…" Ron looked back to the file and continued reading. Harry's own head was also bent over the file of 'Turner, Martin' as he deftly wove through the office and into the elevator. Arriving at the lobby he was still engrossed in the file as he approached the security desk. A trio of voices, one very familiar, pulled him out of the papers.

"Sir, I need your sword as well and ma'am I need your wand."

"I…I don't have a wand…"

"She's a muggle. And you can have my sword when you pry it from my cold dead hands." The security guard wasn't quite sure how to deal with this turn of event.

"Uh…I'm sorry sir, it's protocol. All weapons must be checked at the security office." Harry closed the file, looked up…and stared. A man with close cropped brown hair wearing a white shirt, wrap around sungelasses and dark slacks was standing next to a woman dressed in a dark blue pant suit. The most striking feature though was the leather strap holding a red sheathed sword across the man's back. Harry's eyes went wide as he stepped closer.

"P…Professor?" The man turned and his face broke into a grin.

"Mr. Potter. It's been a long time since anyone called me that. Alex is fine." The man's sunglasses stared directly at him reflecting the bewildered expression in his companion's eyes. She was carrying a thick file folder and looking appraisingly at the new arrival.

"Yes, sir. Alex. So…what brings you to the Ministry?" Harry glanced over to the security guard. "It's all right Will. I'll take responsibility for them." The man, apparently very happy to hand off responsibility of the visitor, handed back Keystone's wand with a murmured apology. At Harry's gesture the pair followed him to the elevators, the woman staring wide eyed at everything and everyone. Harry managed to gather her name was Katherine from the silver badge as she stepped into the box. He turned to his former instructor not sure what to say. They had written a few times over the years just to keep in touch but Harry hadn't seen the man in half a decade and they weren't particularly close.

"So…again…what brings you here?" Keystone glanced at the woman who still hadn't spoken, apparently too stunned for speech.

"We have a case for you. At least parts of a case. I'll explain it all when we get to your office." Harry nodded uncertainly but still fell silent. As they strode into the office Ron's eyes went similarly wide at the sight of the former Defense teacher. He glanced at his partner and silently mouthed 'Professor Keystone?' to which Harry nodded in confirmation. Ron was left to stare in wonder at the man he hadn't seen in over a decade. As Harry took his seat he waved to the couch. The woman sat down slowly but Keystone pulled a stool out of thin air and sat there instead. Harry and Ron glanced at each other before leaning forward.

"I must say this is and unexpected visit. So…what's going on?" Keystone hesitated for a moment, his lens looking over both of his former students. Drawing a deep breath he began.

"First of all, I believe introductions are in order. Gentlemen this is Special Agent Katherine Patinkin of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations. She is also a muggle. Agent Patinkin, this is Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter." Hand shakes were exchanged and she greeted them with a slight accent neither could place. "They are Aurors, the analog to police I mentioned to you." After that bit of explanation he turned back to them.

"She has, for the past several weeks, been tracking someone in the States using methods that couldn't possibly belong to a normal person. I had also become attracted to the case from the magical side as the victims have all so far been witches and wizards. We crossed paths last week in a small coffee shop which, through a machination of the universe, also happened to contain the man we were looking for. Unfortunately he escaped. But I have strong reasons to believe he is on his way here to continue his activities." Harry glanced at Ron again and could see the furrowed brow that he usually got when putting together pieces of a puzzle.

"So…other than the victims all being magical, what makes you think it was a magical person?"

"Quite right Mr. Weasley. To better understand the case I'll leave the explanation to Miss Patinkin." The agent had managed to gather her wits. A detective office was a familiar setting to her even if the clothes were strange.

"Right… There are so far six victims we have confirmed and according to Mr. Keystone likely several more being hidden by their families." She handed the thick file she had been carrying over to Harry. Opening the folder he began paging through and handing sheets over to Ron as he finished them. "The strangest thing is that they're not dead. The best the physicians have been able to come up with is a waking coma. Their bodies are physically fine but it's as if the minds have been wiped out." Harry could see the vacant look in the eyes that spooked him a little. It was patently unnatural. "Now, Mr. Keystone mentioned something in your world called…De…metors?"

"Dementors," Keystone quickly provided.

"Right, Dementors. He said they have a similar effect to this." Harry found himself nodding a moment later. Though he had never seen it first hand, he was forbidden to do guard duty or even visit Azkaban because of the way it riled the prisoners; it matched the descriptions he had heard. His gaze rose to Keystone.

"And you think that's what this is?"

"That's what the Council officially believes. That this is just random Dementor attacks that happened to result in kisses. It has happened before and all the signs are there." Ron cocked his head to the side.

"But you don't agree."

"No. These victims weren't weak wizards or stupid enough not to run if they couldn't fight. One scene had all the hallmarks of a wizard duel around it. Dementors can't use magic and they could be driven off by a patronus which at least some of these people could have summoned. No…whatever we're dealing with, it isn't Dementors. Or not just Dementors. Something else is behind this." After a moment Ron grabbed a piece of parchment and his quill.

"I'm going to tell the boss about this. If you're right he'll want to brief the Minister as soon as possible." Quickly scrawling out the couple lines he tapped the sheet with his wand and opened the door so it could fly off to Arthur. The agent's eyes went wide again, shaken from the setting of detective office she had set up for herself. Ron regained his seat just as a thought struck Harry.

"You said you had a strong reason to think he was coming here. What is it?" In response the man reached into a pocket and pulled out a small scrap of paper.

"There was a confrontation at the coffee shop before the man got away. This was torn off the corner of a note he had written before he escaped." Harry took the scrap and glanced at it. His blood ran cold for a moment when he realized what it said.

_Potter.  
crux  
Hogwarts._

Handing the scrap over to Ron he looked up. "He's going to Hogwarts?"

"And he apparently knows your name. I don't know what the rest of the message said but that fact he mentioned the school is enough to make me believe he's either on his way to Britain or has already arrived." Harry leaned back in his chair to consider the possibility. The thing that had spooked him worse than the mention of his own name was the crux. It looked like it was the cut off end of a word. Was it possible whoever this man was that he had discovered Horcrux? If that was indeed what the message contained he had a whole new series of problems mounting on the horizon. He was cut off from considering the implications though as fast footsteps arrived at the door and burst in.

Arthur Weasley had apparently hurried immediately to the office on receiving the note. He paused for a moment as his eyes fell on Keystone, clearly remembering the last unexpected meeting with the man when he had nearly been killed by Death Eaters. He looked bewildered around the room before his eyes fell on his son. "I got your note, what's the emergency?"

After quick introductions they dove into the file. With speed and precision Ron laid out the case as it had been presented to them and the suspected reasons the man was now in Britain. He was aided at points by Keystone and Patinkin to give his father a summary of what the Americans suspected. Surprised but predisposed to believe the man who had saved his life, Mr. Weasley eventually nodded slowly, the gears clicking into place in his head.

"Okay. Ron, Harry…I'm going to assign you this case to investigate at your discretion. I'll be briefing the Minister immediately. Make sure to keep me updated on any progress." The two nodded simultaneously as their boss turned to the visitors. "Mr. Keystone, good to see you again, Miss Patinkin, a pleasure. Please excuse me." Already constructing what he was going to say to the Minister the man stepped out in a quick stride to the stairs. Katherine looked surprised at how fast the decision had been made.

"That's it? Just that quick this is an official investigation?" Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah. The three of us have quite a bit of pull around here, what with saving the Ministry and all, and besides, if this really is someone hunting wizards we need to get on it as quickly as possible." His glance shifted to the stool. "Any idea what this guy will do next?"

"Not a certain one. If he is targeting specific people he'll probably lay low for a while and figure out where they are before making any sudden moves. If on the other hand it's random…we'll know in the next couple days."

"I guessed as much. We'll take a look into the file and let you know if anything immediately comes up. Where are you staying?"

"The Leaky Caldron. Seemed like a good place for a wizard and a muggle in London."

"Good idea. We'll owl you in a couple days when we've had a chance to look things over."

"Good. We're going to do a little investigating of our own. Katherine's connections in law enforcement should come in handy." All four rose and exchanged handshakes.

"We'll owl you as soon as we can. You know the way out?"

"It'll be hard to navigate without the choking smoke and wanton destruction, but I think we can find the way. Good to see you two again."

"You too." With a final goodbye and a bewildered look from Patinkin they stepped out the door and into the main office. Slumping back into their chairs Ron glanced at the shred of paper. He turned it to Harry with a finger underlining the second word.

"Do you think it's possible someone else discovered how to make them?"

"I don't know. Tom said he had killed everyone that knew about them, so it seems unlikely. But how thoroughly did he investigate America?"

"Exactly what I was thinking." Both leaned heavily back in their chairs and began considering the possibilities of the case that had just been dumped in their laps. After several minutes a wary knocking came at the door. "Come in."

A moment later two people, a witch and a wizard stepped tentatively into the office and looked between them. After a few seconds Harry recognized them from the photos he had been looking at what seemed a very long time ago. The wizard, Martin, Harry's memory supplied as a name, spoke first. "Hello. I'm Martin and this is Janet. We're Junior Aurors and were told to report here for training." Harry nodded slowly a few moments later.

"Right. Okay…why don't you two have a seat?" As they hesitantly sat on the couch Ron dug into his desk drawer and pulled out two files. Handing one to Harry he turned back to the new arrivals.

"Now…if I remember your files correctly you've gone through all of the in office training you require…"

"Several times." The comment from Janet brought Harry's glance up and made her flinch under the sudden scrutiny.

"Yeah… But what you really need is field experience correct?" They both nodded vigorously. "Excellent. Well since four Aurors going out into the field as group is just silly…these days…one of you will be going with each of us to investigate one of these suspicious activity reports." He indicated the two files with a wave of his hand. "Now, as not to show favoritism," he reached into his pocket, "or get either of us killed by a wife who found out we picked the young girl on purpose," he added in a whisper just loud enough for Harry to make out. "We will flip a coin to decide which of you will be accompanying each of us. Heads, I'll take Martin, tails Janet." Pulling out a copper coin from his pocket he squared it on his finger and flipped.

They each followed the flashing metal as it rose into the air and spun. And spun. And spun. And continued hanging in the air and spinning for several second in outright and brazen defiance of gravity. Finally after half a minute the coin fell out of the air and landed in Ron's out stretched hand. Slapping it onto the back of his other hand he glanced at it. "And…tails! Janet, you're with me." Sticking the coin back in his pocket he glanced over to a bemused Harry.

"Let me guess…Fred?"

"Sorry. George. Originally it was just a way to make sure you had time to catch it. He's terrible at flipping coins and they usually end up halfway across the room. But then he thought, why not screw around a little? I've got one that lasts five minutes. They'll be going into production next week."

"Huh. Yet another excellent addition to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."

"Yep. So…shall we? Janet…you and I will be checking into reports someone is impersonating an Inferi as a terribly misguided prank gone wrong."

"While Martin and I check out a Ms. Musken doing strange things with rabbits. Not quite hunting down Death Eaters I know, but you have to start somewhere. You both have muggle clothing I presume?" Harry rose and unbuttoned his robes, switching them for the jacket. As he turned back he noticed their surprised looks. "Okay…I'll take that as a no. Fortunately we've got a few outfits in the department for just such an occasion. We'll get you outfitted before we leave. Ron…if you would lead the way?"

"Sure. Here." He handed the file to Janet. "Read it, know it." His own robes were quickly set aside to reveal a loose long sleeve shirt and tan slacks. Clearly Hermione's doing. Ron turned and led the way from the office. Harry handed his file to Martin before following him out the door.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	6. Ch 5: Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Another chapter ready to go. Enjoy.

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Chapter 5

**Diagon Alley**

Days passed and slowly Harry fell back into his old routine. He and Ron continued working split duty to help train the junior Aurors and were getting them many much needed experience hours. Soon some of them would finally be able to progress up the ladder to become full fledged colleagues. While sparring with Ron Harry had realized how out of shape dueling wise he was and begun spending a couple hours a week with the junior Aurors in combat practice. The sudden reappearance of the man who had taught him to fight might also have had something to do with it.

Silently descending to the first floor of his home early on a Wednesday morning Harry glanced to the spot in front of the door where mail would fall. Having virtually no status in the muggle world he rarely received anything by traditional post. However being who he was meant strangely frequent owls. And indeed there was a pair of letters waiting for him this morning. Reaching down he picked up the first but paused on the second. It was a large parchment envelope addressed in a familiar script. It also wasn't addressed to him. With a smile he left it lay and headed down to the kitchen.

Finding Ginny there and helping Dobby with breakfast he dropped onto a bench and poured out some orange juice. "Good morning." They both turned and greeted him, Dobby with a bow, Ginny with a smile. After a moment she finished her task and sat across from him. While waiting he had torn open the letter and glanced over the contents.

"What's that?"

"A thank you…from one of the Junior Aurors Ron and I have been assigned to help. Rather considerate of them." Harry stuffed the letter back into the envelope and set it aside. The wide grin was still on his face.

"That's nice. But it really doesn't explain the extra wide grin." He smiled even wider at that.

"No it's not. The grin is because I know for a fact James is about to have a very good day." She cocked an eyebrow at him for a moment, not sure what to make of that. Glancing over to the wall she checked the large calendar they had put up. It hung next to the new clock that ticked away the seconds, its stacked hands all pointing to 'home'. After a moment she found the date and turned back to him.

"Ah. A good day indeed."

"Quite." They sat in silence for several minutes, similar grins on each face. Harry knew he didn't even have to bother owling Ron that he wouldn't be in today. They had already worked out Harry would have the day off. A few more minutes passed as they waited and started on breakfast. Eventually they could both hear the heavier footfalls on the stairs that indicated their oldest son. The last few were hurried as he rushed to the front door.

"Whoo-hoo!" The loud shout was followed by his steps thundering down the stairs into the kitchen. He nearly tripped as he skidded to a halt at the end of the table. Harry was momentarily struck by the difference between now and when he had gotten his Hogwarts letter. James had been expecting his eagerly and now nearly exploded with joy. Harry had been certain some mistake had been made. Yet another small difference between them. Like the fact James had avoided needing glasses so far. Which was good as it separated him somewhat from his father. The boy however now looked very much like a younger version of Harry jumping up and down ecstatically. "It came! It's here!" He was furiously waving the letter over his head. Harry smiled and gestured to it.

"Well…good. Why don't you open it?" Now confronted with the idea James lowered the letter and stared at it. He seemed unable to make himself do just that.

"I…I can't. Here, you open it!" He stepped quickly around the table and shoved it into Harry's hands. Before he could even reach for the seal the boy grabbed it back. "No…I have to do it." He stared cautiously at it for a moment before slipping a finger in and breaking the seal open. "There…now you read it!" He shoved the letter back into his father's hands. After another second of indecision he tried to grab it once more. But Harry lifted it out of reach and quickly stood to keep it beyond his son's hands. While the boy jumped for it Harry pretended to read.

"James Arthur Potter. That's you. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry regrets to inform you that you will not be attending our fine educational institute. It turns out you are a squib and will forever be incapable of magic." He glanced down to see James staring at him in stark horror.

"It…it says that…?" Harry chuckled.

"Of course not!" He shoved the letter back into his son's hands. "I didn't even open the envelope. Here." James took a moment to recover before pulling out the letter with shaking hands. It was interesting watching his eyes as he read over the entrance letter multiple times. Each time his grin got a little wider until he finally exploded, surprising his parents by jumping a good deal higher than he should have been able.

"Yeah! I'm going to Hogwarts!" As he began dancing around the room Harry could only sit there and grin, sharing a bit of the joy his son was feeling. After the boy calmed down enough to sit and eat Ginny caught his attention.

"Well…I guess this means a trip to Diagon Alley." Harry nodded before turning to the voice at the door.

"Who's going to the Alley?" Lily was still scrubbing her eyes as she padded into the kitchen.

"We might as well make it a family trip. Your brother got his Hogwarts letter today." James waved the letter furiously at his sister while Ginny's words sunk in.

"Huh. I always thought you'd be a squib."

"Funny. That's actually what dad told me it said. He stole the letter and acted like he was reading it." Harry spluttered indignantly at the accusation.

"Hey, you shoved it in my hands as told me to open it. I can hardly be blamed for my actions after that." James shot a glance at his father before offering the letter to his sister to read. She perused it lazily as she ate breakfast. James could just keep his hand steady enough to hold a spoon while bouncing in his seat with anticipation. In time the twins also arrived and took a few good hearted jabs at their brother. Though not going to Hogwarts yet the other three were just as excited by the prospect of a trip to Diagon Alley. They all tore through the house rushing to get appropriate clothing and scrape together the bits of allowance they had collected over the weeks.

Ready to go in a startlingly short period of time the kids gathered near the fireplace as Harry and Ginny slung their traveling cloaks on and joined them. Each taking a bit of floo powder they followed their mother into the flames.

Harry was the last to emerge in the main room of The Leaky Caldron. Other than the family the room was empty save for Tom the ever-present barman. With a smile and a nod of the head to them he went back to polishing his glassware. Passing through the back door a quick tap of bricks revealed their destination. While the children waited obediently at the archway Harry hung back for a second to speak with his wife.

"If you think you can handle the others I'd like to take James to pick up his things." She smiled a little and nodded.

"Oh…I think I can manage. You two have fun."

"Will do." Kissing her softly he turned and headed for the archway and clapped a hand on his son's shoulder.

"Shall we?" James nodded enthusiastically and took off beside his father while Ginny corralled the other three off in another direction. Harry could sense his son's eyes going wide as he looked at things he had long seen but would now actually be allowed to have. Harry had to push his shoulder beyond one of the windows to keep him moving.

"Dad…"

"No."

"But you don't even know what I was going to say!"

"You can't have a broom." The boy stared up at his father for a moment before hanging his head in annoyance. It quickly came back up though as they reached a large white building guarded by a pair of goblins. Harry held the door for his son who paused a moment to read the inscription further in. Passing fully into the building and reaching one of the goblins Harry produced his key for a moment. "Potter family vault please, Griphook." The creature glanced to the key and then him before nodding.

"Very well Mr. Potter. This way please." James turned to wait in the lobby as he always did when they stopped here but was caught by the sleeve.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh…to wait here…like always." Harry shook his head quickly.

"Not today. Today you're coming with." Pure shock crossed the boy's face as he followed his father and Griphook out a side door to a waiting cart. His eyes traced the change from fine white masonry to rough cut stone past the door. Climbing uncertainly into the transport his eyes were nearly glued open as the ride twisted and turned its way down through the bedrock of London. Screeching to a halt Harry could feel his son's rapid pulse as he helped James from the cart. Keeping the boy clear he handed over the key and waited as the door swung open.

James could only stare in awe at the mountains of coins as he father filled a couple bags with various stacks. Tying them tightly he stuck them in a pocket and turned back. Collecting his still stunned son he kept a hand on him to make sure he didn't fall on the ride back to the surface. Emerging back into daylight Harry took a few steps away from the door before turning to James. "So…got your list?" That shook him from his awe and he immediately dug into a pocket.

"Yep! Right here." Harry glanced over his shoulder as he read. "Cauldron, Telescope, scales…where do we go first?" His eyes swiveled around to stare at his father.

"Well…let's go get your robes taken care of. Madam Malkin's is going to be busy today. Best get there early." After pointing out the way Harry followed his son who was walking with pride knowing he was collecting things for school. Surprisingly the robe shop was empty of customers as they stepped in. Madam Malkin appeared from nowhere and descended on the boy.

"Ah! Our first Hogwarts student of the year. Come along dear, just stand right up here." James took his place as Harry found a chair near the window to watch the fitting. In only a moment the squat witch had a robe over his son and was furiously pinning this and that making sure the fit was perfect. She seemed to be casting an occasional glance at Harry as she worked, nearly sticking herself several times. James for his part was looking around bewildered and casting sidelong glances at his reflection in the tall mirrors, not at all used to having this much attention paid to his clothing. After what seemed a very short time she pronounced the robes ready. Packages tied themselves tight as Harry paid and James picked them up to carry. "Thank you Mr. Potter, Mr. Potter." She bowed them from the shop as three girls, triplets Harry realized, made their way in followed by their mother. Harry didn't recognize the woman though he spent several minutes wracking his brain. She was dressed in muggle garb so it was possible she hadn't been at Hogwarts. "Oh, my. All for Hogwarts?"

The three girls nodded excitedly. Harry noticed James was staring at them and quickly hurried him out before they noticed. The boy glanced back through the window once as they left. "Wow… Are they all in my year?"

"Looks that way. I wonder if they'll end up in the same house." James glanced up at him.

"You mean…identical siblings don't always? Uncle Fred and George did." Harry shook his head.

"True. But one of the Patil twins was in Ravenclaw so I don't know for certain."

"Oh…" James was left to consider this as they crossed over to the apothecary. Glancing up Harry was surprised to see none other than the twins themselves behind the counter. After greetings and introductions they were more than happy to help them gather the required supplies. While Padma helped James pick out phials Pavarti stayed at the counter with Harry. He noticed the sisters flicking hand signals back and forth, prices most likely.

"So…how are things in the Auror world?" Harry shrugged at the question.

"Not nearly as exciting at they used to be. Still, we do a lot of good. How are things in the Alley?" She also shrugged.

"Same as always. It's a lot of fun this time of year to see all the kids we've had in with their parents finally going to Hogwarts. They all have that same grin. Your little girl is going…next year?" Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Yours?"

"Couple years. I think Terry is actually more excited than she is." The other two arrived back at the counter and she quickly totaled up the purchase. Paying, they bid farewell to the twins and returned to the street with more to carry. A trip to Flourish and Blotts left James hanging onto things by his fingertips, robes tucked under his arms. After collecting most of the rest of his equipment the boy was reduced to precariously balancing things between his hands, swaying this way and that trying not to let them fall. Finally he nearly crashed into a wall and turned to Harry.

"Dad? Little help?" Harry knelt down next to him immediately. He noticed someone had recognized him out of the corner of his eye but waved them off with a firm glance.

"All you had to do was ask." Instead of pulling out his wand Harry pulled out several short lengths of twine. With deft movements the packages were bound together into two bundles. Harry grabbed the heavier one and left the other for his son. James was staring at him, surprised at the use of rope by his magically gifted father. "A short reminder: magic isn't always the best choice." This surprised him even more and he was speechless until they reached a faded building Harry remembered very well indeed.

A lone stick sat on a faded purple pillow in the window, the same one that had been there over twenty years ago. He followed James into Ollivander's and smiled at the thousands of dusty boxes lining all the walls right up to the ceiling. The shop still had the feel of a library about it, as if any noise was forbidden. James was staring around so hard he nearly dropped the bundle. He had never had cause to come here before and, like Gringott's vaults, it was a rare treat. The boy's hesitation was plain as he spoke. "Hello?" Harry thought that might have been too low and was about to offer a greeting himself when the low wisp of a voice came from within a series of shelves.

"Ah, welcome. James Potter." Mr. Ollivander appeared out of nowhere to stand next to the boy. This time he did drop the parcel which Harry summoned over and set next to him as he sat on the lone stool. "I knew you would be coming soon. It seems a very long time since I've sold a wand to your family." His large eyes slowly rose past the bewildered James and settled on the chair. "Harry Potter. A wand I'm not likely to forget. Especially as it is now the only wand with a core from that phoenix."

"Yes sir."

"A wand that chose very wisely indeed." After a firm glance his eyes drifted back to the boy. "Yes…the wand chooses the wizard after all. Dragon…unicorn…phoenix. What will choose you Mr. Potter? You are right handed?" It took several moments for the question to sink in.

"Y-yes."

"Then please extend your right hand. Yes, straight out." The enchanted tape measure rose and began its work taking every conceivable count of his body. Harry could tell the years were beginning to wear on the man as he moved around the shop a little slower this time. His capture by Voldemort, of which he never spoke, had done little to him physically, but had been mentally draining. He collected several boxes from around the shop and piled them on his counter before waving off the tape measure. It slunk back to a shelf a moment later.

"Rosewood and unicorn hair, nine inches. Strange but…" James gripped the wand and gave it a couple swishes. It was pulled from his hand and replaced by another after only a second. Harry watched with interest as the progression of wands continued. Either it always took this long to find the correct one or the Potters were a special case. "Hmm…as tricky as your father. Perhaps…Holly and Phoenix feather, eleven inches." Harry leaned in, curious at the choice. Could his son really have an identical wand? A moment later it was pulled away again. "No, I thought not. No matter. How about…Black Walnut and Dragon Heartstring, eleven inches?" James gripped the wand and Harry could see the immediate effect. With a swish sparks showered the room. "Ah. Quite."

"That's what you were waiting for, right?" Ollivander nodded as he took the wand and packaged it for sale.

"Yes Mr. Potter. There can be no doubt now this is your wand and belongs with you alone. I admit myself slightly surprised. It has been in my possession for some time, awaiting its master." Finishing a tie on the box he slid it across the counter. "Seven Galleons please." Harry rose and handed him the coins. Handing James his box Harry grabbed both parcels and shared a nod with the owner as he bowed them out. They were several paces away when James spoke.

"He's a little…odd."

"Yes he is. But so are a lot of people really, once you get to know them. It's a rare and blessed thing to find someone confident enough to really be themselves on the surface." He could see James staring at him, not quite understanding. Moving on Harry mentally checked the list in his head. "That should do it. Are we missing any…thing…?" He glanced around to find James had stopped a ways back at the darkened doorway of Eyelop's. Turning he returned to his son's side.

"An owl. The letter said I can bring an owl. Can I get an owl?" He glanced up hopefully at his father. Harry was torn at this point. He couldn't come up with any reason not to get the pet that wasn't directly contradicted by his own childhood. An owl could be dead useful and a good friend. But the same arguments for the bird could also be used for a broom. He was also reminded of a young blond haired boy that got everything he asked for and how that had turned out.

"An owl? And what exactly would you use it for? Hogwarts has plenty of owls for anything you'd want to send." The boy's face fell but he knew arguing would get him nowhere. "Tell you what though…why don't we pick out a new family owl? Then, if you do well this year, we can talk about your own next summer." James face brightened considerably at that. As Harry followed the boy in he was reminded of Hedwig once more. Losing his pet had been almost as hard as losing his godfather.

After all those years in service to him she had been mistaken for something else and shot by an idiot muggle. She had barely made it back to his room before giving in to the blood loss. That had been the first time in years Harry had very nearly done murder. It had taken Ginny, Ron, Hermione and a very scared Lily to keep him in the house that night. Instead he had collapsed in tears against his wife's chest. The memory of two years ago still grated. Pushing that aside with a deep breath he followed James into the shop.

Emerging a while later with a speckled grey owl named Virgil the pair smiled. "So…shall we go find your mother?"

"Yeah. I wonder where they could be…"

"Number 93," they said in unison. Turning they headed back up the Alley to find the unmissable shop. The front of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was plastered with signs advertising the many strange products to be found within. A new one in the corner was showing off a special wizard chess set. Apparently each piece would enact a random dramatic death scene when it was captured and removed from play. The poster had a photograph of a pawn dramatically cursing cruel fate before collapsing in a wounded heap.

"Ah! Our dearest brother in law and favorite black haired nephew!" Fred was making a grand welcoming gesture as the pair stepped into the shop, as usual bustling with customers. "Come, come!" Slipping through to the back they found themselves relieved of bird and packages as the man set them inside what was apparently his shared office. After a moment Harry glanced up at him.

"I'm your only brother in law." Fred's response was accompanied by another grand gesture.

"Ah, and all the more loved for it. Anyone who can manage to stay married to out sister is a saint to be sure."

"I heard that!" Ginny's voice sounded from somewhere out on the floor. Fred didn't look the least bit abashed. Harry choked back a grin before glancing around.

"Where's George?"

"Down in the workshop with the rest of your brood. Sirius and Albus wanted to see how we were making the ever flipping coins and I suspect Lily has taken it upon herself to keep them from blowing up the workshop. Again. Care to join them James?" The boy didn't have to be asked twice and was soon racing down the stairs to find his siblings. "Hogwarts this year, right?"

"Yep. Just finished picking things up."

"Good, good. Business there has been as good as ever. Zonko was kicking himself last week for selling it after seeing how we're doing. We paid him enough for a very comfortable retirement and he was nearly begging to buy the shop back. We're thinking of bringing him as a manager if we make the jump to the continent. Six shops… Never would have thought it back in school." Harry smiled a little at that.

"Oh…I had an inkling."

"Makes me wonder why our silent partner even bothers working anymore. We're making him way more than a government salary."

"Probably because he likes helping people." Fred shrugged in response.

"To each his own and to us our work. Now…I have to get back on the floor. Oh, by the way…Ginny was looking at some exploding cauldrons a while ago. Might want to keep an eye out."

"Thanks. But Ginny I can handle. When Lily starts looking at love potions…" With a magnificent laugh Fred disappeared though the curtain leaving Harry to consider following him or hunting down the kids. A moment later the choice was negated when Ginny stepped through the curtain. "Hey."

"Hey. So…get everything?" Harry nodded and gestured to the pile of packages just inside the office. Ginny's head turned toward him a moment later. "An owl? You got him an owl?"

"No… We got a new family owl to…replace Hedwig."

"Oh…" He could hear the sympathy in her voice and was silently thankful.

"I…I just felt it was time. His name is Virgil." Ginny nodded in agreement and looked over the owl a bit longer. After a moment a thought struck Harry. "Uh…Ginny? There's something I've been meaning to tell you." She could sense the seriousness of his tone and turned immediately. In a few words he related a bit about the case he was working on and the possible connection to him and Hogwarts. She nodded as he finished. "I meant to tell you earlier but I never found the right time."

"Well…not a lot we can do is there? And besides, Neville can handle just about anything that might happen."

"I know. Just thought I'd mention it." He paused for a moment before glancing at the stairs down. "Shall we go see if our children have destroyed the workshop? Again?"

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	7. Ch 6: Special Assignment

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Hello again. Another chapter has found it's way through the tubes. Oh, The Cold Turkey: Thank you much for the review. I can handle a review drought as long as I get one or two well thought out ones occasionally. I'm glad you're enjoying both stories so much. We won't go into my views about DH as that's another fifty chapter story right there. There will be a little more interaction with the kids in the next chapter which takes place at a certain train station... Enjoy.

(A/N): One other thing, is this funny/not funny: Albus Potter finding an older girl to protect him while singing "You can call me Al" by Paul Simon?

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Chapter 6

**Special Assignment**

Harry stormed into his office and nearly slammed his copy of _The Daily Prophet_ onto his desk. It was folded back and showed only a witch staring vacantly out from the page with the headline 'Dementor Attack' in neat typeset overhead. Harry had read the article twice and knew that the only reason the story was as far forward in the paper as it was printed was due to the lack of other news. He stormed about the office for several minutes, angrily dissipating locking charms and pushing files around. With a final disgusted grunt he fell into his chair.

The clarity brought about from several deep breaths made Harry supremely grateful Ron wasn't there at that moment. In this angry state he was likely to say something stupid and almost bring his friendship to blows again. He had only done it once but Ron wouldn't back down if Harry was looking to pick a fight. It was testament to their friendship that it hadn't ended when they'd collapsed beaten and bloodied in the hall way. The worst part was the fact Harry knew his anger was mostly irrational. There was no way he could have prevented what had happened to the witch, but he was still mad about it.

Shaking himself to some sort of sense he reached for parchment and a quill and quickly scratched out several letters. Tapping all but one he watched them sail out the door to their various destinations in the building. The last he stuffed in an envelope. Sealing it with the ministry stamp he addressed it and rose to shove it through the mail slot in the door. Instead of sliding through and landing on the floor it disappeared. It would arrive in the Mail Room in a few seconds to be sent out by owl post. The Ministry mail slots were an ingenious little touch that sped the process along considerably. The system was built like a miniature floo network within the building that shot letters back and forth in a fraction of the time it would take a runner.

That done he unfolded the paper and laid it flat on the desk. Quick slices with his wand cut the picture and head line free from the rest. Magically rearranging the notes on the bulletin board he created a header that read 'Dementor Attacks' and stuck it to the top. The picture he attached to the left below the headline. A date stamp magically unfurled above it at an angle forming the start of a timeline. Leaning back in his chair he interlaced his hands behind his head and stared at the photo for a long moment.

A familiar voice pulled him from thought and directed his attention back out into the main office. Rising, he quickly strode across the space to the door of one of his colleagues. "Hey Dean." Dean Thomas had just arrived and was going through a similar dispelling routine in the office he shared with Seamus. He turned from hanging up his traveling cloak.

"Oh…hey Harry. What's up?" Harry glanced up at the office's case board, which was still invisible.

"I was wondering… The Dementor attack yesterday…did you guys handle that?" Dean nodded immediately and his eyes wandered to a file sitting on the corner of his desk.

"Yeah. Seemed fairly straightforward…if strange. Hasn't been a Demetor attack in years."

"Thankfully. Say…could I get a copy of the file?"

"Yeah, sure. You checking up on me Potter?" Harry shook his head firmly.

"No…it's just such an odd happening I thought it would be and interesting read."

"No problem. I'll have records shoot it over in a couple hours."

"Thanks." Harry's mind checked that off the list as he glanced back to his office. Ron still wasn't there. He turned back to Dean. "So…how's Lavender?" Dean's mouth twitched a little and Harry suddenly felt he had stepped into uncomfortable territory.

"She's…anxious. About the baby. So am I. It took her so long to try again after…you know…" Harry nodded quickly to save Dean having to spell it out. Lavender had miscarried several years ago and it had nearly broken both of them. Seamus had worked alone for a month while the couple had come to grips with the tragedy. Harry could suddenly see the toll this pregnancy was taking in his colleague's eyes. With a supreme force of will the man pushed it away. "If something happens this time…"

"Well…let her know Ginny and I pulling for her." Dean nodded appreciatively.

"Will do. How is Ginny these days?" Harry felt himself smiling.

"Good. She's got the whole mum thing nailed."

"Had an excellent teacher didn't she?" Harry couldn't help but nod at that. Dean hesitated for a moment and Harry could see the counting in his eyes. "Your oldest is starting school this year, right?"

"Yeah, James. Bouncing around the house with excitement."

"I suppose…" A hint of pain returned at the reference to children and Harry regretted mentioning it. Dean's face cleared once more though as he looked up. "Well, tell him good luck from us and I'll have that file fore you soon."

"Thanks." Turning, Harry headed back to his office and found Ron had finally arrived. He was holding the memo Harry had sent down to the lobby just a few minutes earlier. "Morning."

"Morning. So, it finally happened?" Harry nodded as he fell into his chair. "Who dealt with it?"

"Seamus and Dean. They're going to send over a copy of the file so we can take a look at it." Ron nodded approvingly at this and held up the memo.

"You really think this is the guy ? You really think there _is_ a guy…or woman behind these attacks?" Harry nodded slowly. "Yeah…same conclusion I came to. Wouldn't it be nice, if just this once, we were completely wrong?" A smile crossed both their faces at that.

"Well…it wouldn't be the first time. But I'm sure that's not the case."

"Think Keystone knows?"

"Yeah. I sent him a letter as soon as I arrived." They both fell into silence at that and Harry could see the thoughts passing behind Ron's eyes as surely as his own. "He'll likely be here as soon as he gets the note." Harry was wrong though. Keystone and Agent Patinkin didn't show up until well after lunch.

While they waited they had time for their two current trainees to arrive and put in several hours of work. Unwilling to leave the office for fear of missing the former professor they were forced to pursue other routes. Instead they had the pair review old case to see what they could deduce just from the preliminary reports and interviews. When the copy of the reports from Seamus and Dean arrived they took turns reading through it while the other continued with the trainees. On a whim Harry let the pair have a look at the previous day's file as well.

As everyone else had they too concluded it was most likely the result of a rogue Dementor or group of Dementors that had run down and kissed the witch. There were no signs of a struggle and a muggle witness had reported a silver flash in the area before having his memory wiped. Apparently it was just another terrible happenstance of fate. Harry would like to believe it, but his instincts told him everyone else was wrong. It was a feeling he had learned to trust.

Breaking for lunch Harry sent them off to combat practice if only to occupy their minds. Harry chose to order in and ate at his desk deep in deliberation while scratching out notes on a blank piece of paper. Ron had decided to eat out and had met his wife and family at a nearby restaurant. It had become something of a tradition for that branch of the Weasley family and Hermione made sure to hold them to it at least once every couple weeks.

Thoughts of them brought up images of his own family. Harry briefly let his mind wander to the look on James's face when he had gotten home with all of his new things from Diagon Alley and found a large trunk with his initials emblazoned across the end sitting on his bed. With great care he had immediately opened and begun looking through his own things. He had packed and repacked his new trunk half a dozen times already. Harry suspected it was more of an excuse to look at the things he had acquired than any real necessity. Harry found him several times trying on the Hogwarts robes and turning about in the mirror to see how he looked in them.

He was pulled from his reverie several minutes later as his partner returned…and not alone. As Ron crashed into his chair Keystone and Patinkin sat on the couch. They waited for a moment before the man held up an envelope and tossed it to the desk. "Got your note. Saw the paper too."

"Then you also think it's whatever you're tracking." The man nodded firmly. "So do we. Convincing everyone else is going to be the trick. Here. The official report." Harry handed it over and waited several minutes as Keystone quickly paged through it and Patinkin went far more slowly. "You've got to admit…it looks fairly straight forward. No signs of struggle at the scene, a silver flash that would indicate a patronus. It fits with a Dementor attack."

"No it doesn't." They both looked over surprised at the woman paging through the file. "There were no signs of a struggle where the victim was found. You're right about that."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

"Correct." She set the file aside and leveled a firm glance at him. "After Alex saw the paper we decided to check it out for ourselves. This report is remarkably accurate on most of the details by the way. However, several blocks away in an alley just outside what I'm told is a magical shop we found traces of a wizard's duel. Burn marks, nicked pieces of a building and at least one witness who claims to have heard fighting late in the night." Ron leaned in, clearly interested by this new piece of information.

"And you think the two are connected?" She nodded quickly.

"Yes. There was blood on the asphalt, not more than forty-eight hours old."

"But…there was no wound…"

"The blood was on a piece of brick along with some hair. Likely someone fell on it and took a nasty cut. Now, consider this. If we are dealing with someone who wants us to think this is the work of Dementors, what would he do?" After a moment Ron snapped his fingers.

"Heal the wound!"

"Exactly. Now add on top of that the silver flash. What better way to convince any unseen witnesses of what the threat was?" Harry found himself nodding along. This woman reminded him of Hermione the way she put together pieces of the puzzle to form a whole.

"And…what do you think happened?"

"We believe it was a body dump. It's an old technique. Kill someone in one place, wrap up the body and dump it somewhere far away to throw off any investigation." Harry and Ron glanced at each other. He could see the same surprise at the conclusion in Ron's eyes. Keystone chose that moment to break into their thoughts.

"This isn't random, and it's not by chance. Whoever is doing this is covering their tracks so well it's throwing off _Aurors_ and is also making the assaults look exactly like a Dementor attack right down to a fake patronus. Who ever we're dealing with has thought this through a lot and is very intelligent. That makes them very…_very_ dangerous." Silence descended as each of them considered that thought. A moment later Ron grabbed a piece of paper, scrawled a message and sent it off out the door. They remained in silence for another minute before Arthur Weasley burst through the door, panting from the short run.

"What is it!? You said come as quick as possible!" Giving him a moment to regroup Harry gestured to the Americans.

"We have new evidence regarding the case. I need to speak with the Minister as soon as possible."

"New…evidence?"

"Yes. It looks like we're dealing with someone far more dangerous than a mere Dementor." Arthur focused on Harry's eyes for a moment before glancing to his son. Both gave him a firm nod that he had learned long ago meant pure conviction in their course. After a long moment of consideration, he nodded.

"I'll get you in right away. Give me ten minutes then head on up." Harry nodded.

"Thank you." The man nodded as he stepped back out the door. Left in silence Harry began to construct his argument to the Minister while throwing glances to the clock every few seconds. Ron was busy scratching out a few notes for himself and trying to ignore Harry's constant clock watching. Patinkin chose to reread the report while Keystone leaned back, seemingly staring at nothing through the dark lenses. After the interminable ten minutes Harry rose and chose the stairs for speed. Arriving one story higher he stepped up to the reception desk.

"He's expecting you sir, head on in."

"Thanks." Closing the door behind himself Harry glanced around. The office of Minister of Magic looked much as it always had, a large desk in the center, personal assistant's off to the side and the man himself raising his head to focus on the new arrival. Harry noticed Arthur standing at the Minister's side, also clearly interested in what he had to say. "Minister Canton."

"Mr. Potter. Arthur tells me you have new evidence about the Dementor attacks?"

"Yes." Over the next several minutes Harry laid out the background and research Keystone and Patinkin had done as well as the indication from the previous day's case. He took great pains to point out every possible difference between a true Dementor attack and what was going on here. The misdirection, moving the body, and the series of previous attack in the states all pointed to one common attacker. "It's real Minister and it's a very dangerous threat."

By this point the Minister had steepled his fingers and was now staring intently at Harry. A long minute passed during which the man considered the information laid before him. Though having worked with them for years, this run of thinking Ministers still felt odd to Harry. First impressions were very deeply rooted after all. After much muttering to himself the man spoke.

"Very well. Mr. Potter? I want you and Mr. Weasley to take full charge of this investigation and do whatever is necessary to bring this situation to a close. You have my full support and all the resources of the Ministry at your disposal. Do whatever it takes to hunt this person down and stop them. However you can."

"Yes Sir!" Harry could feel the wheels grinding into place in his head. Once again he had a dangerous enemy and a focus to defeat him.

"Now…do we tell the public?" Arthur was the first to answer.

"I think we have to sir. We can't try to hide this from them and fail. It would set us back years."

"But we could cause a country wide panic Arthur."

"And failing to do so could set up a country wide slaughter."

"And tell them what? Look out for something that acts exactly like a Dementor but isn't?"

"Yes. Exactly." Both of them turned to Harry. "Put out an article in the _Prophet_ tomorrow. Warn people to be on the look out for Dementor attacks and to limit traveling alone and at night as much as possible." Arthur stared at Harry for several seconds.

"You…are advocating misdirection?" Harry shook his head slowly.

"There is only a handful of us that think this is anything other than rogue Dementors. And the evidence to the contrary isn't exactly solid. Besides, what else could we really advise people to do? Unless you want to start assigning guards to every witch and wizard in the country, all we can do is hunt." Arthur's head was nodding as he finished.

"He's right sir. I'll draft the release immediately."

"Good. Thank you both. Keep me updated."

"Yes sir." The pair responded in unison as they hurried out the door. Arthur headed for the elevator and press division while Harry raced down the stairs to his office. Stepping in, three sets of eyes swiveled toward him.

"Full authority. We take this as far as we can and do whatever it takes to stop the threat." Keystone rose, apparently not surprised in the slightest.

"We'll keep taking it from the muggle end, see what else we can dig up. I'll keep in touch." Katherine also rose and with handshakes they headed out. Harry fell back into his chair and glanced over to Ron.

"It's officially our top priority. What do we do now?" Ron thought about it for a second.

"I think we could use some help."

"Okay. Who?"

"The same one that always helps us, the brightest witch of the age. The most attractive woman I've ever met." Harry smiled at the idea and nodded.

"Hermione it is. Think she'll be interested?"

"Only one way to find out. Why don't you stop by the house tonight and we'll ask her."

"Sounds like a plan." With some direction Harry was actually happy when the trainees reappeared and more than willing to go over more case files. Passing the time and working through the afternoon it was soon closing time at the Ministry. Locking up the office Harry stopped by the mail room on the way out to let Ginny know he'd be home a little late. Both intoned the address of the small house in Godric's Hollow as they stepped into one of the many fireplaces lining the entrance hall of the ministry.

Emerging several seconds later in the living room of the Weasley residence Harry looked around and smiled. The house was an odd mix of muggle and magical. A broom stand holding Ron's Firebolt sat right next to the television. A photograph of Hermione's parents waving to them rested on a low book shelf beside a still photograph of Arthur and Molly smiling heartily. The book shelf it self was a study of juxtaposition as _The Rise and Fall of Grindelwald_ comfortably shared space with _D-Day to Berlin: The Close of the Second World War_. Potion books and cook books were intermixed across the upper shelf.

The house had changed much since it had come into the possession of Harry's two best friends and it was better for the differences. Instinctively side stepping the few toys scattered on the floor Harry followed Ron into the kitchen. Passing through what once had been a back door they reached Hermione's workshop. Unlike the room in Grimmauld Place this was much more like a muggle laboratory. Stainless steel formed the counters, tables and chairs while dark red tile covered the floor. Harry was thankful the light had been turned down or it would be blinding inside. There were cauldrons positioned against the back wall and spell books stacked precisely on a bookshelf but there was also a computer in the corner throwing little bits of light here and there.

As they entered the witch herself looked up from the center table where she had been bent over what appeared to be a pocket watch. Rising with a smile she strode over toward her husband. Though she did wear wizard's robes they were white and cut to give the distinct impression of a lab coat. Ron leaned down to greet her with a kiss and a few words during which Harry compulsively averted his eyes. He glanced back when he was sure they had broken apart.

"Hi Harry."

"Hey Hermione. How's it going?"

"Good. You?"

"Just fine. Whatcha working on?" She glanced back to the pocket watch and summoned it over for him to look at. It seemed at first glance to be just an ordinary pocket watch with three hands and a dozen numbers. He handed it back and shrugged.

"This…could be the new generation of time turners. The Ministry is finally trying to recreate a few after we destroyed their stock in fifth year. Don't think for a second I'm not enjoying the fact they asked me to help with the project." Harry was marginally surprised, not just that the Ministry was making this effort but that he hadn't heard about it. As tight lipped as some of them could be with the press, Ministry employees were notoriously talkative with each other and often all he had to do was open his office door for half an hour to collect all the information he needed about the inner workings of the building.

"So…why a pocket watch?"

"They decided that if they were going to do the thing, why not do it right? This will be far more accurate than an hourglass…if we can get it to work." After glancing once more at the watch she set it aside. "But, interesting as it may be to me, that's not why you're here. What's going on?" Harry glanced at Ron before gesturing to the living room.

"Why don't we have a seat? This is going to take a while." Taking a seat in the chair across from them he began to lay out the various things that had happened recently and the problems it was creating for the Ministry. Ron filled in bits and pieces he had filed away that Harry had missed. "So that's how we ended up assigned to the case. We were hoping to persuade you to give us a hand."

Hermione had leaned back at this point, deep in concentration. Harry also relaxed and waited. After several minutes her lips spread into a small grin. "Just like old times huh? The three of us together again." Harry nodded rapidly.

"Yep. Except this time, no teachers breathing down our necks and all the help we want from the Ministry."

"It would be nice not to have to fight everybody else while we crack the case for a change. All right, I'm in. After the first. I really can't go gallivanting around the country until the kids are off to school." Ron smiled and leaned over to kiss her.

"Thankfully. Merlin knows I wouldn't last a day in your shoes." This brought a wider smile to her face as she turned to Harry.

"So…are you staying for dinner?" To this though Harry had to shake his head.

"Afraid not. Ginny's expecting me. Another time though." They rose as one and Harry shared a hug with her. "Say hi to the kids for me. I'll see you tomorrow Ron." With a few goodbyes he turned back to the fireplace and disappeared into the flames.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	8. Ch 7: Platform Nine and ThreeQuarters

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): For those of you that read 'Harry Potter and the Second War' the opening of this chapter will seem very familiar. Pray bear with me as I indulge a little.

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Chapter 7

**Platform 9 3/4**

Harry's head jerked to the side as he came around and started to wake up. Yawning loudly he started to squirm a little. Confident his body was ready to go; he slid off the side of the bed and grabbed the glasses he knew were waiting on the table next to him. Squinting against the light from the window he stumbled to the bathroom after grabbing a pair of boxers. Setting them on the counter next to his still unworn glasses he stripped off the shirt and boxers he had slept in and gingerly stepped into the shower. Automatically going through the motions of a shower and shave, he toweled himself dry and slid on the glasses so he could make the same futile effort he engaged in every morning to bring some sort of order to his hair.

Tossing the towel over a rack, he raised the comb to his head with one hand and drew his other across the surface of the mirror to clear away some of the condensation. Whipping his hand to the side to throw off the water, he looked back to the mirror…and froze. He leaned closer, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. It was his face…but not his face. It was…older. The scar was still there, the unruly hair which his hand had automatically started vainly trying to straighten, but there was a maturity that spoke of another ten or fifteen years worth of wear.

He looked around. It was the bathroom attached to his bedroom at Grimmauld only…different. Just slightly. Stepping out he found the same thing. His bedroom….only not. Summoning his wand from the bedside table, where he knew it would be, he looked around. Much of it was the same, only there were other things, a nightgown over the foot board and other small changes that spoke of a definite feminine presence. Looking at the desk and bookcases he found odd pictures. The ones he remembered being there were clear as day. There were others though that were blurry and almost ghost like which he was unable to make out. Shaking his head they quickly resolved into photos of friends and family waving happily.

A dream?

It made the most sense…but… Pulling on what he instinctively knew were the right clothes, he headed for the door and out into his house. The third floor was still quiet, as was the second. He didn't spend much time looking around as a bit of sound drew him lower. Glancing at the living room as he passed through the entry way he was stunned by the rearrangement but more so by the few toys scattered in one corner. He was slowly coming to some sort of acceptance of what he was seeing, but his mind still couldn't fully process it.

Descending the final flight of stairs to the kitchen he walked in slowly, staring at the thin woman with long red hair leaning over a cook pot. She turned as the door closed and Harry's jaw hit the floor. Again it was Ginny, only not Ginny. It looked like Hermione had cast an aged appearance spell on her. She had matured…as much as his reflection had he realized. He was unable to speak as she smiled at him, flicking a loose strand of hair out of her eyes with her wand.

"Morning." He fumbled for a response, his mouth still refusing to move. Before anything could come out he felt two somethings blow by him toward the table. "James, Lily, what did I tell you about running in the kitchen?"

"Sorry mum. Morning dad."

"Sorry. Hey dad." Even more stunned, Harry looked down at the children taking seats at the table. Or rather, what were supposed to have been children. They had the correct form and size, but like the pictures upstairs, they were blurry and insubstantial. It took several moments before he could process what the apparitions had called him and Ginny. A small smile broke out on his face once he did. Firmly wiping his eyes behind the glasses the pair resolved sharply into their normal shapes.

"Now hurry up and eat you two. I've still got to get the twins up and ready, we can't miss the Express." While the formerly ghostly children dug into plates their mother had set before them, she approached Harry, concern evident in her face. "Harry? What is it? You okay?" He smiled a little wider as he answered.

"Yeah…yeah I'm just fine." He chuckled a little and shook his head once more, forcing pieces back into place where they belonged. Sixteen years of life his mind had for some reason chosen to momentarily ignore resituated itself between his ears. "I…I just had the weirdest sense of déjà vu." Ginny stared at him for a moment before kissing his cheek.

"As long as you're okay. Have dome breakfast, I'm going to get the twins out of bed." Harry nodded belatedly as she headed back up the stairs. Rounding the table he took his normal seat at the end between the children.

"Good morning sir. Breakfast."

"Thank you Winky." He accepted the plate as the elf slid it over to him. Digging in he did his best to wake up and shake off the last of the strange feeling that had just passed over him. Settling comfortably into the day he paged through the paper while his wife finished off preparing the kids. By this time it was mostly a matter of standing nearby and making sure they didn't get distracted by anything. The table was wobbling a little from James nearly bouncing in his seat. Harry knew for a fact his son had already been up for hours and had changed clothes several times and likely repacked his trunk.

The family went through a sped up morning routine and soon everyone was rushing around to pull on coats over their muggle cloths. While James rushed upstairs to get his trunk and make sure he had everything else Harry headed out front to meet the car. As expected one of his friends from the Ministry Transportation division was leaning against the front of an elongated sedan right in front of the house. Greeting him with a nod the man popped open the boot. "Good morning Mr. Potter."

"Morning Robert. How are things in Transportation?"

"Had a Floo connection misfire last night. A poor old witch by the name of Mathilda spent the better part of the evening circling Bath. She was so dizzy when we got her out she kept rolling for some minutes." The man shook his head as if not quite believing it had happened despite seeing it. "What's going on up in MLE?" MLE, Magical Law Enforcement, wasn't the prime topic of conversation currently it usually was, but it was always worth asking.

"Dementor attack is still ruffling feathers but…things have calmed back down."

"That's good." A moment later he tipped his hat as the rest of Harry's family filed out the door led by James and his trunk. With a little help from his father the boy swung it up into the boot and closed the lid. Being a Ministry car it was of course enchanted so the four kids fit comfortably across the back while Harry and Ginny sat on the bench seat facing them.

James's eyes were pinned to the glass as he struggled desperately trying to catch his first glimpse of King's Cross station. Harry had leaned back a little and was just enjoying the view. His fingers instinctively reached over and interlaced with Ginny's. Rounding a corner he recognized a sculpture and knew immediately where they were. He didn't even have time to turn around before his son's voice burst out.

"There it is!" Sure enough King's Cross was coming into view in all of its aged majesty. As the car came to a stop James was out and waiting for the back to open before the driver had even climbed out. Obliging the boy he helped pull out the trunk and James waited with great impatience for his family to gather around him. Once they had he confidently strode into the station at a near run. They caught up just inside the doors where he had stopped dead, not entirely sure where to go next. With a slight prod from his mother though he was quickly back on his way. Passing through the busy train station they came at last to that wonderful transition point between the normal and magical worlds. As they started down between the two currently empty tracks James was clearly pulling on the invisible reigns holding him to his family.

Harry was stopped short though when he passed a clearly distraught woman staring at the platform numbers and speaking to a young girl standing next to her. The girl was holding tightly onto a large trunk and also looking at the numbers. "I don't understand. It's not here. There's nine…and ten. This can't be right!" Harry touched Ginny's shoulder to stop her. Stepping closer to the woman he caught a glance of the ticket she was referring to that confirmed his suspicions.

"Excuse me; are you looking for the Hogwarts express?" Her head whipped around to him and she stared open mouthed. After a moment she nodded furiously.

"Yes! But…it's not here." Harry glanced down at the girl.

"First year?" Her head nodded slowly. "Ah. First thing you have to learn: things aren't always what they seem." He opened one side of his coat just enough so she could see the wand hidden there. Her eyes went wide at realizing what he was. "Come on, we'll show you how to get there." With a welcoming gesture they slowly accepted and stepped closer to his little group who all greeted them with a wave. James was the first to stick out his hand.

"Hi! I'm James. What's your name?" The girl responded hesitantly but took his hand none the less.

"Uh…Mary. Mary Williams."

"Nice name. This is my sister Lily, brothers Albus and Sirius and that's my mom and dad."

"Harry Potter." Harry held out his hand which was shook by the woman, evidently Mary's mother.

"Ginny." She also shook hands.

"Virginia. Thanks for helping us. I didn't know…" Harry waved it off.

"Don't worry about it. I had the same problem first time I came here. James? If you'd care to show them the way?" The boy nodded vigorously and motioned with his hand. Relief flooded the girl and she quickly pulled up by his side as he began explaining.

"See, the thing is, the entrance is hidden. You have to walk straight at the wall between nine and ten." He picked one of the walls in question and aimed for it. "Follow me." At a brisk walk he headed straight for the bricks…and disappeared. With only a second's hesitation Mary followed. Mrs. Williams tried to pursue her daughter but was stopped cold by solid stone. As the other children ran past her Ginny offered a hand and an explanation.

"It's enchanted to keep non magical people out. Usually you'd have to say goodbye out here. But I think we can bend the rules just this one time." As she had expected she was able to pull the woman through the barrier to the other side. Harry was about to follow when he got a sudden chill that sent his hand diving into his coat. Spinning rapidly he began trying to look in all directions at once desperately seeking the oversized black cloak he remembered far too well. Despite the lack of trains giving him excellent lines of sight though, there wasn't even the slightest wisp of a Dementor. A moment later the feeling passed and his hand slowly retracted.

Giving the station one last sweep with his eyes he turned to follow his family when a familiar set of voices pulled his head around. "Uncle Harry!" He turned and was nearly bowled over as another boy ran into his legs. Ruffling Gideon's hair he glanced up to find Ron, Hermione and Rose approaching.

"Hi Gideon. Rose. I was just about to go through. James is already there." At that Gideon disengaged, grabbed his trunk once more and headed for the barrier. At his mother's nod he shot through followed by his much more demure sister. With a nod for greeting the three friends followed their children in.

Emerging before the bright red engine he needed search only a moment to find the gathering of his family and relatives near the train. James and Gideon were trading a rather complicated looking handshake while he introduced Mary. The girl looked startled to apparently have been accepted so readily by these two. It brought a smile to his face to think he had helped raise such a child. With any luck James would be able to avoid those prejudices that had plagued Harry and his own father in their time at school. Ginny and Virginia were hovering nearby, both with the same surprised look at how their children were already getting on. James's siblings were looking excitedly at the train while zooming around and pointing out people they knew.

Bubble gum pink hair bounced through the crowd drawing Harry's attention. As it emerged close to him he glanced from the owner to the man standing next to her. "Wotcher Harry."

"Morning Dora, Remus." Their official marriage had necessitated the change to 'Dora' since Tonks was no longer her last name.

"Harry…how are you?" Remus looked the years that had passed, but finally time had caught up with appearance and he seemed barely different from the man who had taught him to summon a patronus decades earlier. "How are the cubs?" Harry bit back a laugh at that. Though Remus and Dora always used the word to describe children it was still a strange naming.

"Good. We're all doing really well. James nearly exploded with excitement the last couple weeks."

"I can imagine. Teddy was the same way when he was eleven." Harry's memories quickly flashed through the announcement she was pregnant, seeing the new baby in St. Mungo's, the day he had been made Teddy's godfather and the first time he had tried riding a toy broom. The boy was his parents pride and joy. They had been so happy at having a child that had avoided his father's curse Remus had nearly done back flips. They had made the decision later not to have more children and make sure the curse died with Remus.

"Speaking of Teddy…where is he?" Harry had been sweeping the platform since he had walked in looking for certain people, their son being one of them, so far with no luck. Dora pointed back toward one of the last cars.

"He's right…there…" The crowd had parted for a moment to reveal Teddy, tall and lanky, leaning down to greet a young woman with a kiss. As he did so his hair momentarily flashed to a fiery orange. The girl had light red hair that seemed to glisten a little with its own light. "With Victorie. Well…managed not to tell us that didn't he?"

"Can you blame him dear? He's fourteen after all." Remus was nodding approvingly at his son's action, something that caught him an elbow in the stomach. "Hey! If I remember correctly that's about how old you were when we met…" That earned him another jab.

"Don't even start with that Remus. Come on, we have to say goodbye." With a wave to Harry they both set out down the platform. From the window just above the teen couple another girl appeared, this one with long glowing blonde hair and an angelic face. She spoke a few words before disappearing back into the cabin. Marie had gotten the veela's share of her mother in her looks. It clashed magnificently with her taste for bloody steak and Weasley mouth. The fact she could make remarks in two languages though meant people often weren't sure what she was saying. It helped her avoid a good deal of trouble.

Marie held a special place in the hearts of his friends and family. She had been the first child to be born to the group, the first child in decades that would be able to live her entire life without the specter of Voldemort at all. She was to them in many ways the symbol of the new order after Tom Riddle, a new age of peace in the magical world. And it could hardly be a prettier one. Harry caught a glimpse of her parents, Bill and Fleur, and returned their wave. As they moved off to the side he could just make out another head of blond hair. Two of them actually.

Draco Malfoy was kneeling in front of what was presumably his son imparting a few words. His wife Pansy was standing a couple feet behind him, locked face not betraying the separation pains she must be feeling. The young Malfoy nodded firmly to his father, surprisingly clapped him on the shoulder in a close imitation of a hug and turned away. With a deep breath the boy, who had somewhat more substantial features than his father, marched up the stairs and into the express. As Draco rose his eyes locked with Harry's. After a moment they shared a sharp nod and then broke off to join his wife. Realizing with a start people were climbing aboard all around him Harry turned quickly and found his son waiting.

Kneeling down he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag. "Well…this is it. Here. Now don't spend it all at once, it has to last the whole term." He shoved the bag into James's hands. The boy took it and stuffed it into his pocket. After a moment he spoke.

"You'll write me, right?"

"As often as you want." Harry hesitated for a moment. He had never been good at this kind of thing. "James…I'm sure you'll do fine. Just do your best and I'll be proud of you."

"Come on James! We've got a compartment all picked out!" Gideon's voice came from just a little way ahead. Glancing over Harry could see Mary's face staring back at her mother from the other seat of the compartment. Returning his gaze to James he could see a hint of worry in his son's eyes.

"But…what if…"

"Do what you believe is right. And accept the consequences. That's all any of us can do. Write if you need anything at all and for your mother's sake…try not to get in to too much trouble." The boy smiled at the last. "Oh…and say 'Hi' to Hagrid for me. And Professor Longbottom"

"I will. Goodbye dad." After a moment of indecision he leaned in and lightly hugged his father. Breaking away quickly he turned and tore up the stairs, racing to the compartment Gideon had staked out. As Harry rose he could see his son's head appear in the window. Ginny and the others joined him and began waving as the train chugged to life and rolled out of the station. Mrs. Williams was walking beside the train, a thin layer of glass separating her hand from that of her daughter. Finally it got fast enough she couldn't keep up and had to wave as the cars pulled out of sight.

For the first time since second year, the Hogwarts Express pulled out of sight and Harry Potter was left at the platform. He flicked away most of a tear as the last speck of train disappeared around a curve and had to fight the urge to find a broom and try to catch it. He waited with his family for several long minutes as the other parents and children slowly left through the wall. Sharing a wave with many he knew he waited until a teary eyed Mrs. Williams had again joined them.

"She's…she's never been away from home for so long… I don't…" Ginny was there with a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. She has a magnificent group of professor's to keep and eye on her in addition to the members of her own house." Letting that pair lead the way Harry corralled his other children through the gateway where he found Ron and Hermione waiting. They silently fell in beside him as the troupe headed back out to the waiting car. Releasing Virginia to find her car and drive home Ginny was the first in followed by the other three children. As they piled in Harry turned to the other couple.

"So…want to come over for tea or something?" Ron shook his head.

"No…I think we're just going to go home and…celebrate the fact we got both the kids off to school." Hermione nodded in agreement with this plan.

"I have a bottle of champagne I've been holding onto for fourteen years, waiting for just such an occasion."

"In that case…I'll see you at work." With a farewell he climbed back into the car and pulled the door shut. A moment later the vehicle pulled away from the curb and started the journey home. His three remaining kids were talking animatedly about what they were going to do when it was their turn to go to Hogwarts. Albus and Sirius both got a far away stare at the thought they could find a way ride on top of the train. Harry reached over and pulled Ginny close to him, enjoying the feel of her head on his shoulder.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	9. Ch 8: The Hunt Begins

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

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Chapter 8

**The Hunt Begins**

It was only a few days later when an exhausted courier crashed into Harry and Ron's office nearly collapsing on the floor. He looked as if he had run all the way up from the mail room as he shoved the letter marked 'urgent' into Harry's hands. Slicing it open he quickly glanced over the note from the head of the Auror's office.

_Mr. Potter,_

_We have a report of another potential victim in the case you  
are investigating. The muggle police have previously arrived  
and taken charge of the scene. Several of our people are  
already in place stalling them until you can get there. Remember  
to take all appropriate Secrecy measures. Take your time, this  
one is dead._

_Kingsley Shacklebolt,  
Head Auror_

The address of the scene was scrawled across the bottom. Passing the letter to Ron he pulled out one of his desk drawers and began digging through the clutter for something very specific. Ron also reached into his drawer and both came up with a folded leather case. Flipping it open Harry made sure the badge was still clean. Slipping it in his pocket he finally glanced up to his partner. "You get Hermione, I'll write Keystone." Ron nodded and pulled the framed mirror closer from the corner of his desk.

"Hermione. Hermione, you there?" While Ron quickly spoke with his wife Harry scratched out a swift message, copied the address and stuffed it in another envelope marked 'urgent'.

"Take this to the mail room immediately." Scratching out the delivery address he handed it to the courier who set out at once. The Ministry Mail Room maintained a small number of specially bred and charmed fast owls for emergencies. The letter would be sent with one of them and delivered almost by the time Harry left the building. Scratching out a hurried note to the transportation department he tapped it and waited as it shot off out the door.

"Okay…I'll meet you there." Hermione's voice drifted off as Ron set the mirror back among his pictures and stood. As both stripped off their official robes Harry hung them both from the rack and led the way out. Stopping by the wardrobe room off to one side of the floor they each grabbed a suit jacket that would help them fit in as a couple inspectors from Scotland Yard as their badges proclaimed. Slipping on the jackets they rode down to the lobby. Taking the main entrance out they emerged from the men's room and quickly climbed to street level. The grey day seemed in accordance with the mission they were on.

"Good morning sirs. Your car." The man held out the keys to the official looking vehicle behind him. Harry took them with a nod and slipped into the driver's seat. As Ron slid in beside him Harry started the engine and set off through the streets of London.

Several minutes of silence later he pulled over and parked several paces from a small crowd being held back by patrol officers. Stepping out they joined three people waiting someway back. "I see you got the message." Keystone nodded in response. He had also conjured a suit jacket and the five of them looked very official as they headed toward the line of officers. Patinkin was carrying a cup of coffee in a cardboard cup and muttering about the 'damn Brits never brewed it strong enough.' Reaching a sergeant who seemed to be in charge Ron and Harry flashed their badges. They were enchanted to make sure the man saw whatever it was he wanted and he waved them past. "These three are with us." At the questioning glance Ron muttered something about 'colleagues from America' and 'exchange program' that seemed to satisfy him.

As they approached a figure covered with a white sheet and several uniformed people floating around it Harry looked around at the buildings. A solid row of office buildings were backed up to the street off to the left and the right was divided into two large and rather recent car parking ramps. Between them, where the body lay, there was a walkway just over fifteen yards wide with a row of rectangular cement planters right down the center. A few benches had been placed along either side though Harry was at a loss for who would want to rest in such a place.

The white sheet covered form was lying near one of planters, spots of red soaking into the fabric. The acrid smell of blood found his nostrils turning his head for just a moment. The area all around was clear of any signs of a struggle, much like the previous report. He glanced over as Keystone seemed to notice the same thing. "We're going to take a look around." Harry nodded as the pair broke away and headed for the concrete structure to the right. He and Ron kneeled down at either end of the sheet as the other people moved away.

Pulling it back Harry could hear the hard swallow in Hermione's throat. The young witch was half on her side and almost looked as if she was sleeping. Except for the large pool of congealed blood that had spread from the back of her head and the visible coldness of her flesh. Harry choked back a gag reflex and leaned close to her face. This job, and his battles before it, had given him a painful amount of first hand experience with the dead. This one however, shook him right to the core. Instead of the vaguely fearful look most bodies had, her face was blank. The eyes were wide and unfocused; the lips hadn't even quivered in the last moments of life.

His eyes traced over the rest of her form from the jumper down to the long skirt. His eyes caught something sticking out of a pocket. Using a closer look at the bright yellow streak on her skirt as cover he covertly removed her wand and slid it up his sleeve. Shaking his head at the senseless death he leaned back and helped Ron replace the sheet. Hermione had turned away and was swallowing hard. As they stepped away from the body a young man approached, the label on his jump suit indicating he was part of the Forensics Team. Harry had dealt with the muggle police enough to get a good grasp of the different sections within the outfit though after a couple years it was slow coming back. He made a mental note to see about adding more information on muggle law enforcement agencies to the Auror training curriculum.

"Inspector." Harry nodded to the man and noticed Hermione speaking a few words to Ron before stepping away. His attention returned to the man who was stripping off a pair of plastic gloves and pulling out a notebook.

"What do you think?" The man flipped through a few pages of the book before responding.

"Well Inspector…we're going with accident for now. There's no indication of a struggle or a fall from more than a few feet. It looks as if she simply slipped, you'll notice the broken heel on her left shoe. Seems she fell and landed just wrong on the planter. There's a small bit of blood on the edge and the break in her neck corresponds to the mark." Harry followed the man as he pointed to the various places.

"Anything…unusual?"

"Not really. Her body temperature was rather low but it was a cool night last night." Harry glanced back to the exposed foot and noted it had turned a light shade of blue from the cold.

"Okay. Thanks." The man nodded and turned away. After taking a couple steps he turned back and hesitated. "What?"

"Sir…I know it's not my place but…" Harry gestured for the man to continue. "Her face. I've seen a lot of these but…never one that calm. She had time to realize what was happening and still… It just feels all wrong." Harry nodded slowly and waved the man off. He seemed glad to be away from the body as he rapidly packed up his kit. Ron glanced at him as he approached and spoke under his breath.

"One of ours says they have a witness over there we need to talk to." Ron jerked his head over to a pair of men standing near the circle of onlookers.

"Okay…let's hear what he has to say." Striding over to them Harry was surprised to see Martin, the Junior Auror he had been training several weeks ago standing beside the witness. Apparently he had moved up a bit in the ranks.

"Sir? Mr. Hooper here wanted to speak to you." Harry nodded and waved Martin to the side.

"So…what did you see?" Hopper hesitated for a moment before turning to point toward the other car ramp.

"Well…I was just getting to work early this morning and leaving from the car, my wife's a muggle and she insisted I learn to drive you see…" Harry nodded quickly and gestured for the man to move on. "Right, right. It was about half past six and when I felt a bit of chill. Not like a cool breeze but something unnatural. Then I remembered that warning in the paper about them Dementors. A few moments later I heard a thud and a crack. I broke my arm once s a boy and it was the same terrible wet sound. So I ran over to the ledge…there." He pointed up near the fourth floor. "I looked down and saw her lying there. I thought she just hit her head or I would have moved faster. By the time I got down here it was too late. So I called the police straight away and then the Ministry." His eyes traced back to the sheet lying over the victim.

"Poor girl. I wonder who she was?" Harry glanced at Ron before turning back to him.

"We'll find out. This man is going to keep an eye on you and walk you through the muggle interview." He gestured for Martin to return but closed on him for a second and surreptitiously passed over the victim's wand. "Get this back to the Ministry for me. Tell them who it belongs to."

"Yes sir." He nodded sharply before returning to Hooper's side. Harry and Ron continued on past the body to stand at a distance and take in the scene. Ron was glancing around rapidly, looking for someone. Harry leaned a little closer.

"Where did she go?"

"She said she was going to look for something and then disappeared. Haven't seen her since."

"Huh. I wonder where…" Harry flinched as something small hit him in the shoulder. Glancing down he found a small pebble had landed near his feet. A moment later another hit Ron drawing both of their attention's upward. Slowly their gaze was pulled nearly straight up to a familiar head of brown hair staring over the side from the top level of the parking ramp and waving for them to come up. It disappeared a moment later once Hermione was sure they had gotten the message.

"We didn't find anything nearby. How goes the scene?" They both turned as Keystone and Patinkin walked up.

"Nothing conclusive yet. Consensus seems to be that it was an accident. But Hermione apparently found something. Come on." Breaking away from the scene the four found a way into the structure and past several dozen parked cars to the elevator. Piling in it was a short ride to the relatively empty roof. Hermione was waiting for them near the edge and glancing over occasionally. Keystone paused for a moment and carefully examined a patch of ground. "What?"

"Spell damage." He pointed out several spots and kicked a loose chunk of concrete with his foot.

"You saw that too huh?" Keystone nodded as he caught up to them. "Did you find any other possible battle scenes?" Hermione's gaze again swept the skyline as he answered.

"Nope. Not so much as a magical burn mark. But here…"

"Exactly." She stepped away from the thick concrete railing and began pointing at and through the floor. "There are signs of a wizard's duel, or at least an attacking wizard, starting near a car on the second floor and trailing all the way up the stairs. They stop right over there." She pointed to the piece of concrete Keystone had kicked. Ron glanced down as if able to see the battle in his head.

"So…she was chased up here?"

"It looks that way."

"But…why up? If she had gone down she could have run to another building for help. Up here she'd be trapped." Hermione could only shrug.

"She probably panicked. And once she started up she couldn't turn around. So he tracked her all the way up to the room, finally caught up and…did whatever it is he does to these people." They all considered the situation for several minutes, each tracing though the events that seemed to have occurred. Agent Patinkin slowly headed over to the ledge and looked down. After a moment she turned back.

"Okay…assuming you're right…why kill her? If he was trying to convince people this was a Dementor attack then killing her would be the last thing he would want." Harry found himself nodding along. It did seem to go against what had already been done.

"I don't think he did. Not intentionally anyway. Now, assume for a moment that after he finished with her, her body was still able to stumble a little ways. Walking is mostly automatic so it's possible." Hermione imitated the shambling gait. And approached the railing. "Remember that bit of paint on her skirt? Yellow wasn't it?" Harry nodded as his eyes followed her finger to a thin yellow warning line that had been painted around the rim of the railing. The section where Hermione was standing seemed to be newer than the rest. "Was it…about here?" She set her hand at about mid thigh and leaned against the edge. The two matched up perfectly. A moment later all of them had moved closer. Patinkin had leaned close to examine the paint and Harry could make out the slight pattern where the newer coating had been partially wiped that might indicate fabric. The agent glanced back up.

"But…a fall from this height would have done much more that break her neck." Harry glanced over the concrete to where the body was being moved away. "It would have shattered half the bones in her body." Ron seemed to have leaped ahead of his wife and rushed to the edge.

"Ah…but you're not thinking like a witch. There are a dozen ways to stop someone falling, half of which could have saved her." Ron pulled back a moment and searched the paint strip. After a moment he found another wiped out section. "Let's see…this is pretty wide…" Leaning over as far as he could his free hand gripped the edge to keep himself from falling…and exactly matched several marks on the stripe. Pulling back once more his pant legs matched up with another set of patterned marks. "And so he stopped her fall." He glanced over at Hermione who was nodding approvingly. "Right?"

"Exactly what I was going to say." It took several moments for Harry to process the information.

"Okay…assuming you're correct…why is she dead?" Hermione was caught at a loss at this point and furrowed her brow. She apparently hadn't quite got that part figured out yet. After several moments of consideration Patinkin raised a finger.

"These methods to stop someone from falling…could the target land on their feet?" Ron nodded a moment later. "Then…what if that's what happened? She landed just fine, but stumbled and hit her head. Whoever attacked her would have assumed she was just going to lie down and wait to be found. So…they just left her to die." Harry glanced once more over the railing where the body had now been driven away and onlookers were dispersing. Turning around to the rest of his group he leaned back against the railing and visually traced the battle back from the center of the roof to the stairs.

It had been dark in the predawn hour. She had just arrived, or maybe just gotten off of work. The attacker approached, likely drew a wand, she panicked. She was fit enough to run and had scrambled up three flights of stairs. Somewhere along the way her heel had given out and she had tripped. Likely right by that broken piece of concrete. They had caught up and assaulted her. Afterward she had stumbled the fifteen or twenty feet and gone right over the edge. The attacker had rushed to the railing, leaned over and saved her. Harry's and caught at that point. What sort of person causes massive psychological trauma to the point of shutting down a mind, but saves the victim from a fall to the death?

That strange combination of actions rolled violently in his mind attempting to connect to something else. Involuntarily a memory of the end of sixth year swan before his eyes. Snape had killed Dumbledore, granted on the latter's orders, but then had spared Harry and several others on his way out. It was the same kind of disconnected results he had here. Could whoever had done this also be serving two masters as Severus had been? Take whatever you want but leave them alive? It was a twisted set of ideas Harry couldn't find a link between.

Frustration set in several moments later and he turned to catch a biting gust of the North wind as it tore over the building. Taking another deep breath he was silently thankful when his partner's voice sounded behind him.

"So…uh…" Ron was glancing around, clearly trying to find somewhere to direct them from here. "Lunch?"

"Yes!"

"Good idea!"

"I'll drive!" Dropping back down in the elevator they made a wide circle around the far side of the block to avoid any of the actual detectives still interviewing witnesses. As Ron and Harry slipped into the front seat Patinkin found herself between Keystone and Hermione. In order to make sure the car would pass as a Scotland Yard vehicle the Ministry had avoided putting any charms at all on it. Unfortunately it made the back seat a little tight for three adults.

They were more than happy to get out when Harry pulled up outside the Leaky Cauldron. Requesting a private room they were quickly seated and enjoying a variety of meals. Harry though was picking through his, moving things around as the bits and pieces of the case bounced around between his ears. "Okay…" he finally said, "what do we know about these people that link them together?" They each glanced at the others, none being able to come up with anything. "Come on, come on. There has to be something." Hermione was the first to throw he hands up.

"There isn't Harry. In fact if they weren't all witches and wizards we wouldn't even think there was a connection." Her eyes suddenly popped open at that. "Or…I could be wrong." Harry grinned a little at the words that were rarer coming from Hermione than wit from Filch.

"Okay…they're all magical. So obviously that's a requirement. Now…what else is happening to them?" Ron thought it over a moment.

"Well…when we find them they all act as if they've been kissed by a Dementor."

"And by all accounts that's exactly what seems to be happening. Right down to the silver flash indicating a patronus." Harry nodded at Keystone's addition.

"Okay…let's run with that a moment. If this is in fact being done by one or more Dementors then someone has to be controlling them. So…what can control a Dementor?" Again there was silence as they pondered the question. Keystone glanced up.

"Voldemort could."

"Who?"

"I'll explain later." He turned from Patinkin and refocused on the others. "Voldemort sent an entire legion to attack the school; obviously he had some way to make them do his bidding." Harry had already begun shaking his head.

"I don't think so. Voldemort promised to increase fear and darkness so the Dementors could multiply, just like he promised increased rights to werewolves. This feels different. They wouldn't have anything to gain from the little bits of fear being generated around the country. The attacks are far too precise and have had basically no impact on the muggles." Keystone was forced to agree.

"You're right. But it still leaves us with what could control them. A patronus can keep them away but it can't really force them anywhere. Or to do anything specifically." More minutes of silence fell as each again attempted to come up with something that could control a Dementor with precision. Finally Harry shook his head in frustration.

"It's not a Dementor. Or even someone controlling a Dementor. It just doesn't make sense no matter how you look at it. No…we're dealing with something else completely." Harry could feel the tension in the room rise at that realization. After several minutes Keystone tossed several coins onto the table and rose.

"We're going to head down to Scotland Yard and see what we can dig up. Let us know if you come up with any thing else." With a nod he and the agent headed out and back into the muggle world. The trio sat there several minutes more, strangely content to simply spend time in each other's company despite the horrible problem they had to tackle. Finally though Ron slowly rose.

"We'd better get the car back to the Ministry. You want to come along?"

"Tempting…but as long as I'm here there's a few things I've been meaning to pick up in the Alley. I'll see you at home."

"Okay." With a farewell kiss Hermione headed out through the back while Ron and Harry paid and went to retrieve the car. As they cruised back to the Ministry Harry's mind kept trying to make sense of the situation. In some ways things had been easier in school. There he had a definite goal and a well defined enemy. Hunt down objects of pure evil, destroy them and kill the darkest wizard of all time. Here he wasn't even sure what he was hunting.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	10. Ch 9: An Empty Gaze

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Another day, another chapter.

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Chapter 9

**An Empty Gaze**

_Dear Dad,_

_Thanks for the letter last week. I'm sorry I haven't written sooner but there's so much to do here. If Hogwarts was this busy when you were here I can't imagine how you could have done half the things Aunt Hermione's book says you did. Between classes, meals, spending time with my house mates and exploring I barely have time to sleep!_

_Oh! I forgot to tell you in the last letter, I was sorted into Gryffindor after all. All we had to do was try on an old hat. A hat that talks! It said it remembered you well and had been looking forward to meeting your son! How did that old hat know about me? Gideon got sorted into Gryffindor too. And guess what? So did Mary! Which is great since now we can hang out in the common room together! She's been picking things about the magical world up really quick and earning us tons of points for how hard she's working. Which is really nice because _(Harry had to squint out make out the extremely small writing in the next line)_ Gideon and I sort of got caught out in the school at night…a couple times._

_Anyway…you were right about those three girls! They're the Creevey triplets. Jennifer, Ella and Ker…something. Right, Kerah. Thanks Mary. Their mother is a muggle and their father works at St. Mungo's as a Healer. They each got put in a different house! Jennifer went to Ravenclaw, Ella to Hufflepuff and Kerah to…Slytherin! There are a few of the older students in her own house that pick on her since her mother's a muggle but someone has been standing up for her, someone they apparently respect enough to shut up. His name is Scorpius. Scorpius Malfoy. He's in our year too and also in Slytherin. Though it takes so much courage to stand up to some of those older students I'm surprised he's not in Gryffindor. Even I'm a little scared of them. Between him and her sisters Kerah is doing okay._

_Flying class is a lot of fun and I'm really good at it. I still don't think Headmistress McGonagall will let me try out for the House Quiddich team though. Especially since I don't have my own broom… My other classes are going well though I'm not entirely sure Professor Drake, our Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, is quite all there. He talks funny sometimes about how trying to do good can lead to darkness. I don't quite understand what he means. But we are learning a lot! _

_Professor Longbottom and Hagrid both say 'Hi' and said not to worry, I'm doing fine. A few people do stare at me from time to time like you thought they would but it hasn't been a problem yet. I'll let you know if it is. Promise. Wow! It's already late. I better get back to that potions, essay. Professor Montoya will go crazy if I'm late with it again._

_Later,_

_James Potter_

Harry's face was locked in a wide grin as he carefully folded up the letter and stuck it back in the envelope. Slipping it in a desk drawer to take home after work he let out a contented breath. His son's first few weeks had gone fine. He hadn't missed the note about Quiddich and the boy having his own broom but it would take more than that to change his mind. Harry had been the youngest seeker in a century and definitely stuck out at school no matter what. Not letting his son continue to bend the rules and play in his first year would help him drift into the background a little. Besides, if he started second year it was likely he'd play just as many, if not more, games than his father had over his time there.

Pushing the happy memories of school and thoughts of his son aside Harry leaned back and waited several moments for the grin to retreat from his lips. Taking a deep breath to force the rest away he turned his mind back to his job. The letter had been waiting on his desk when he arrived, but it was time to work now. His eyes rose and found the bulletin board where a second picture had joined the one from the Prophet and formed the next step of the timeline. This was also magical though there was no movement, no life, is this face. Harry tried to lock the blank eyes and vacant features of both into his mind.

After several moments of this his attention was drawn away as a memo slid to a stop on his desk and unfolded itself. Glancing over it quickly he rose almost immediately and reached for his overcloak. He wouldn't need to be in disguise as a muggle where he was going. Securing the traveling cloak he drew his wand to lock the desk and lower the lights. Sliding it back up his arm he double checked everything was in order and headed for the door. Crossing the office in the mid morning buzz he drew no more than a couple glances. He had been back for months now and everyone had once again grown used to his presence in the office.

As the golden grille clanged open Harry stepped out into the lobby and once again double checked everything was in place. Striding past the security station and reception desk he approached a couple who had their backs to him, also dressed in traveling gear. They turned as he arrived and greeted him with a smile. "Morning. You two ready to go?" Ron and Hermione nodded firmly. Harry noticed she was wearing gloves as instantly wished he had through to bring a pair. Where they were going was none too pleasant. The few times he had gone personally hadn't made him eager to return. Doing what he could he pulled up the deep hood on his cloak as far as it would go. The others did the same with their hoods.

"I still don't see why you can't just tell me where it is." Hermione had been miffed about this part.

"Sorry. Ministry rules. Only the Aurors are allowed to know. Don't you trust Ron to a side along apparition?" Ron feigned a hurt look and puppy dog eyes as he glanced down at his wife. Hermione could only roll her eyes in response.

"You two are hopeless. Come on, let's get going." Ron extended an arm and she held on tightly. More tightly than was strictly necessary but neither of them seemed to mind. With a sharp nod Ron turned in place and they both disappeared. Harry followed suit a moment later and felt the still marginally unpleasant sensation of being squeezed through a tube as he crossed a relatively huge distance of land and sea.

Popping back into the world Harry instinctively raised an arm and turned away from the sea spray. A moment later he felt the tight shield spell wrap itself close to his body as Hermione cast it. Slipping the wand back into her robes she looked around. Though having been here a few times herself she had no point of reference to apperate and so needed help to come back. This location was a closely guarded secret given out only to select Aurors and officials within the Ministry. Harry too took a moment to look over the ancient and terrible structure that was the magical Azkaban Prison.

It was built on an island that was really no more than one massive rock. At most five hundred yards wide the godforsaken chunk of land stuck out of the North Sea like an angry fist. Wizards could have built a hut in the middle and called their job done. But they had done far more than that. A huge stone structure rose from the rock leaving perhaps a dozen feet of fractured stone around the base for the grey waves to crash against. The building itself was eight sided and magically bonded to be one piece of mind crushingly dark stone inside and out. The walls were perfectly sheer and only small slits covered in mesh pierced the outside at regular intervals. A dozen stories above them the very top of the prison resisted the buffeting winds as the occasional shadow of a patrolling guard passed there.

A long walkway wrought out of the same dark stone stretched from the gated entrance at the base of the wall facing them to the large circular area they had arrived at. It was fifty feet across and, like the walkway, left intentionally rough hewn to guarantee traction against the wind and water of the surrounding sea. The circle they stood on had been built specifiallay as an arrival point for apperating or for any soul brave and insane enough to attempt to fly in. The arrival point and walkway were only a dozen feet above the savage sea and the occasional wave still broke over both. Now, as was nearly always the case, a fierce storm was raging in the area, churning the sea into foam, sending lightning splitting the sky and causing torrential sheets of rain to move across the area with terrifying intensity. If the storm was ever able to organize itself it would become a hurricane of death. Carefully placed enchantments covered much of the area to prevent exactly that. If they hadn't immediately cast shield charms on arriving they would be soaked to the bone by now.

In the few seconds it took them to look over this entire terrible scene they had gotten more than their fill. Harry didn't bother trying to shout over the storm and instead simply waved for them to follow. Pulling his hood tight forward with a free hand he leaned into the wind and started toward the prison gates. Harry could just feel the various anti apperation, unplottable and other enchantments covering the building. Quickening his pace as he got closer to the gates he turned further against the wind as he passed through the enchantment dispelling ward. At nearly a run he crossed the last few yards and virtually dove into the protected entryway. He could hear the pounding footsteps as Ron and Hermione followed.

Glancing back to make sure they were okay and not too wet he raised his fist and banged loudly on the steel banded wooden gates, the first set of physical barriers to the prison. Pulling back his hood enough for the torchlight to catch his face he waited. A moment later a slit in the door rolled to the side and Harry could make out a set of eyes staring back out toward him. They glanced to the side and looked over the other two figures. Sliding the slit closed again it was only a second before Harry could hear locks being disengaged. The door slowly swung back to reveal the brighter light from within and a middle aged man in strictly cut light blue uniform robes. He waved them in, an invitation they readily accepted. As the door closed behind them it cut off the roar of the storm and the sudden quiet was nearly as loud to their ears.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I'm Garret Runtgers. Welcome to Azkaban." As he shook their hands Harry looked him over. The man had a wide belt around his waste that looked incredibly mugglish. A baton hung off one side and a case holding handcuffs was attached to the other next to a two way radio. A lot had changed here in the last few years. "If you'll just step through here we can collect your wands and get you ready to go." A lot indeed.

Following the man through the second set of gates they turned swiftly to the right and into the main guard office. It was a strange trip for Harry. Almost every time he had been here before it had been dragging a new inmate, often with Ron holding the other arm. Stepping into the office, which was painted in much brighter colors than more of the rest of the building, he pulled off his traveling cloak and hung it off the large rack. Drawing his wand he reluctantly held it out to the reception guard standing at attention.

"Good morning sir." He took the wands of all three and placed them carefully in a padded lock box. Checking the wands weren't for the protection of the employees as it was at the Ministry, it was to keep them away from the inmates. Not that they would have done Harry and his friends any good anyway. After permanently removing the Dementors the ministry had found a new way to punish the inmates. After much worked and consultation the Ministry had managed to erect a magic negating field that covered almost the entire area. Only the arrival field and some of the walkway were outside of it. It made the wands useless and meant the muggle prison accoutrements had become standard issue among the guards. That was the punishment for the prisoners, many of them Death Eaters. To be cut off from magic forever and be forced to live as muggle prisoners for the rest of their lives.

Begin cut off from magic also had an effect on the guards that meant there was a large contingent of Aurors on rotation to keep and eye on the place. They were on duty for no more than two weeks at a time with a month back in the rest of the world in between. Harry and Ron were forbidden from being in the rotation as their presence would only serve to agitate the prisoners. At one time a majority of the cells in Azkaban had been filled by Alastor Moody. Now it was Harry's name that factored into the arrest of nearly all of them. Receiving a belt much like the other guards' Harry strapped it around his waste and checked to make sure the baton was in easy reach. Garret waited until they were belted and ready before gesturing to the door once more. With a nod to the receptionist Harry followed him out.

Stepping out of the office they began striding lightly through torch lit hallways that cut through the center of the ring that the building formed. Garret cast a few glances back toward them as their footsteps rung against the stone and empty steel barred cells that lined either side of fifteen foot path. Oil lamps at even intervals along the ceiling cast enough light to just make out the back wall of the cells. Eventually their guide voiced the thoughts that were clearly bouncing around his head. "I must admit, we were surprised to get your message yesterday. It's not often we get requests to visit prisoners here. Much less to one who had been…" He trailed off, unable to completely voice the thought. "Why do you want to see him anyway?" Harry glanced over as Ron opened his mouth and silenced him with a miniscule shake of the head.

"Professional interest. There might be something relating to the Dementor attack a couple weeks back." The man half turned with a cocked eyebrow, clearly looking for more information. Realizing he wasn't going to get it he shrugged and headed up the stairs. Rising to the second floor they continued around the ring. Slowing down as he approached yet another of the dark cells Garret held up a hand to stop them. Pulling out a large ring of steel keys from his robes he quickly found the correct one and undid the lock on the door in front of them. Waving them in he waited outside and held the door open while they entered.

The trio slowly approached the back and the man sitting there against the wall. He was cross legged and dressed in tattered graying robes. His hair had gone to grey and was as scraggly and unkempt as his long beard. His eyes were glazed as they stared at the middle distance, focused on nothing. His face sagged as if it hadn't been used for expressing emotion or even talking for years. Harry swallowed hard at the shell sitting before him. Hermione glanced back to the guard.

"This man was kissed?" He nodded. "How long ago?" The man searched his memory for a moment.

"Almost twenty years. He was one of the last before… Well, one of the last." The guards here didn't like to talk or even think about the time the Dementors had turned to the side of darkness and the prison had been breached. Harry couldn't blame them.

"How did he survive so long?" The guard could offer little more than a shrug.

"He eats. We're not sure why. The others like him didn't so they starved. We have to spoon feed him but he does eat. Some of the guards think it's because the Dementors left so soon after it happened. No one knows for sure." Hermione considered the information while Harry slowly reached out and set a hand on the man's shoulder. There was a miniscule muscle twitch but no other reaction. He felt like a human being but there was nothing underneath. It was just a shell. Harry slowly backed away mentally comparing this man to the reports he had read. They were very similar and seemed only to point yet again to the idea Dementors were somehow involved.

Moving to the side so the others could investigate closer Harry found himself next to the room's lone window slit. This one faced toward the center of the building. Glancing out he could just see down into the central courtyard where some of the prisoners were allowed to be outside for a few minutes a day. There was a large glass canopy over a table in the center that would let them stay out of the rain while they walked. All that was down their now was a lone guard patrolling the interior.

Stepping away from the man they returned to the hallway. Waiting for Garret to lock up they followed him as he wove back down to the security office, once again skillfully avoiding any occupied cells. Happy to reclaim their wands they hesitated only a moment in the protected alcove as the main gates swung closed behind them. The force of the storm hadn't abated and each hesitated to head out. Pulling his cloak tight Harry again angled his body against the wind and darted out onto the walk way. Rushing through the down pour he didn't bother casting a shield charm to hold back the rain but instead simply moved as fast as he could to clear the apparation barrier. Turning on the spot once past it he was exceedingly glad to be leaving the dark island.

Drawing his wand he swished it toward the cloak causing water to fall in a sheet to the ground. Collecting it he flung it at a nearby drain that had been installed for just such a purpose. Standing a little closer to one of the many fires for a bit of warmth he turned as two cracks let him know his friends had arrived. Also drying their clothes they followed his gesture to return to the office. As each of them hung a traveling cloak from the stand Harry returned to his seat. Ron flopped back and covered the length of the couch leaving Hermione to sit in her husband's chair. The red haired man let out a long breath as he relaxed.

"Wow… I forgot how depressing that place is. Feels good to be away from it."

"Just think how much worse it would have been if the Dementors were still there." All three shook that image from their minds as they settled back for a moment. "Don't get too relaxed. We've still got one more stop today."

"I know. But until then…lunch?" The trio decided to order in and ate while paging through the reports related to the case. Hermione had dug up one of the older and rattier books at Harry's house and was searching for anything that might be able to replicate or imitate the effects of a Dementor.

Finishing his meal Harry rose and stretched. "Well…shall we?" The others joined him as he left the office and descended to the lobby. Once more they gathered and disappeared from the building with a triple crack.

Harry glanced around as they arrived in another of the great wizarding institutions hidden within London. St. Mungo's had changed little since his first visit here. There were only a few people standing and sitting around waiting for help. One however looked quite odd as their face seemed to have rearranged itself. Lips were pursed tightly together on his forehead while his nose sniffed violently from his chin. Looking quickly away Harry headed for the reception desk, Ron and Hermione in tow. The Reception witch was hunched forward looking intently at something on the desk.

"Good afternoon. I have an appointment in the closed ward."

"Name," the witch asked without looking up from the files she was working on.

"Harry Potter." She froze for a second before slowly raising her eyes and settling on his face. She seemed unable to speak for several seconds before shaking herself loose and nodding rapidly.

"Y-yes sir. Please, just head on up to the fourth floor. Someone is waiting to escort you at the door to the ward."

"Thank you." Leaving the surprised woman behind he turned and led the others up the stairs. Emerging from the stairwell Harry's eyes searched the room. They immediately fell on the door to the closed ward and the Healer standing next to it, clearly waiting for them. Harry held out his hand as he approached. "Dennis."

"Harry. Ron. Hermione."

"Hey Dennis."

"Afternoon."

Dennis Creevey kept his face carefully neutral as he shook hands with each of them. He had never really gotten over losing his brother in the last battle at Hogwarts. Part of him had turned to anger over the intervening summer. Some of it was directed at Harry and he laid a portion of the blame for loosing his sibling square at the feet of the boy who lived. It was a grudge that had died down but he still clearly nursed. Harry knew there was nothing he could say or do to make it right between them, so he simply did his best not to antagonize the man whenever they met.

Dennis attended the remembrance ceremony at the graveyard every year and was dutifully cordial there. He was able to get along with the other members of the DA just fine but could never really treat Harry the same. As such Harry hadn't really heard about his life after school except for a few bits and pieces here and there. He knew the man had turned his back on much of the magical world for a couple years and nearly not returned to school. Something however had brought him back and he now worked at the hospital helping to restore the lives of others back to normalcy.

Dennis opened the door to the Closed Ward and waved them through. Harry let the others lead and hung back for a moment. "Say Dennis?" The man paused and waited, his face still neutral. "My oldest, James, just started Hogwarts this year. I got a letter saying there were three girls in his year…the Creevey triplets." Dennis nodded slowly.

"Yes. My daughters." He paused for a moment and looked as if he would turn away. Setting his feet he continued. "Kerah told me James was in their year. Cindy, my wife, and I are very proud of them." At this point he did fall silent.

"Well…I'm sure they'll do great. Congratulations." Dennis nodded and headed into the ward, barely waiting for Harry to follow. He had heard an announcement some years ago the man had gotten married though the children were a complete surprise to him. There was nothing for it though; some wounds were too deep to try healing. Following the man in he came to the bed where Ron and Hermione were waiting.

The closed ward had fewer patients than the last time Harry had been here. With the merciful death of the long suffering Longbottoms and the release of Gilderoy Lockhart there were only a handful of patients. Gilderoy was far from his old self and never had recovered his memory but he had relearned enough not to be dangerous. They had never taught him again how to use magic but he knew enough about the world to get by. Last Harry had heard he was working as a cover model for muggle fiction novels. Something well within his abilities, just stand around and look good.

His attention was sharply returned to the patient half lying in front of him. Her face had the same blank look and vacant gaze as the other victims. Her unfocused eyes were staring at nothing straight down the end of her bed. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder which elicited no discernable reaction. It had been weeks since she was attacked, the attack that had really started them off on the case, and yet there had been no change in her demeanor. His glance trailed up to the other pair. They were similarly looking and he could see the spooked look in each set of eyes. After a moment he turned back to Dennis.

"So…what can you tell us about her?" Reaching for the end of the bed the man pulled out a file folder. He began paging through as he read off notes in a professionally detached voice.

"Well…she likes to be warm. Any time the blankets are moved her hands reach out to pull them back. She eats when we feed her and she will sleep. Mostly it seemed to be when her body is physically unable to stay awake. And since she doesn't move much that means she'll be up for a day and a half of more at a time. When she does sleep her body just flops back and passes out in whatever position she falls. Other than that she hasn't moved, spoken or even, as far as we can tell, blinked. She appears to be no more than a shell doing only what is needed to survive." Harry found the detached description even more disconcerting than the sight of the kissed man at the prison. He glanced over and could see Hermione was visibly disturbed and Ron had an arm over he shoulders to comfort her.

Glancing back one more Harry analyzed the woman, comparing every detail with the man they had seen earlier in Azkaban. There was no denying the extreme similarity despite the vastly differing background. "Any idea what could have done this? It might help us figure out how to treat her." Harry nearly shook his head as he turned to the man.

"We're not sure, but it looks like a Dementor." Dennis replaced the folder and sighed.

"That's what we were afraid of. Well…we'll keep her comfortable. About all we can do." Harry did his best to maintain a steady pace as he followed his friends out of the ward. Those empty gazes and nearly dead eyes pursued him as they headed back to the Ministry and waited just out of sight when ever he closed his eyes. He needed someone who was alive and could make him forget those looks. He needed Ginny.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	11. Ch 10: Fear

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Action anyone?

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Chapter 10

**Fear**

The game of wizard's chess had been going worse and worse at each move. It wasn't a case of bad to worse whenever Harry and Ron played; it was a case of starting out hopeless and going downhill from there. Ron had offered to take a handicap in the form of starting off without a couple pieces but Harry's sense of honor wouldn't allow it, no matter how much his pride urged him to. Harry wasn't usually one to play a game of chess in the middle of a workday, much less with such an important case hanging over his head, but he desperately needed an hour or so of thinking about something, anything else. Ron hadn't made very strong arguments in favor of playing games at work but Harry hadn't fought against them very hard either.

And as usual Harry was losing badly. It had become necessary to place a silencing charm over the board just to shut up the pieces who were almost constantly berating him. As they played Harry put all the focus possible into the game, not trying for the impossible victory that Ron's pride would never allow under anything but the most extreme consequences, but to keep from focusing on the vacant eyes and pools of blood that waited on the backs of his eyelids. It was often like this during a particularly brutal or difficult case. He would obsess and obsess about it until he had solved it. With that end would come the catharsis that would clear his mind once more to await the next case. It had happened a blessedly small number of times in his career but it was a pattern learned in school that was unlikely to ever end.

Doing his best to form some kind of defense to stop hemorrhaging pawns, Harry leaned a little farther forward in his chair. He sometimes did this as if attempting to find a piece level view. Some of it was also trying to recapture a little bit of the feeling of actually being a piece as he had been first year. Occasionally during their games he would try and picture himself as one piece or another and what they must see from their point of view. Unlike the experience trying to retrieve the Philosopher's Stone however, it invariably ended with him getting sacrificed. There was a lot to be said for having Ron on your side in a battle.

Ron was taking a long time with his moves, really playing as well as he could. This was bad for Harry. Instead of giving him more time to consider a counter for all of his friend's possible attacks it meant he was less likely to conceive what Ron was doing. A slow playing Ron meant he was trying to be artful and win with style. At that point his strategies became truly unfathomable to Harry and all he could do was try to prolong the inevitable. It was cool, calculating and absolutely lethal the way Ron would orchestrate victory in these situations.

As Ron took a breath to announce his next move, no doubt putting several of Harry's remaining pieces in mortal jeopardy, an interoffice memo shot through the office door and kamikazed itself into the chess board, knocking several pieces aside. Unfolding it revealed a flashing red 'Urgent' across the top. Harry leaned forward and read aloud for Ron to hear.

"Potter, Weasley, Dementor attack. Immediate response demanded. Apparation approved. All necessary action approved. Kingsley." All necessary action. That was Ministry code speak for 'to hell with the Secrecy Statute, get it done.' They had just been authorized to do basically anything in order to take care of the situation. Harry memorized the address written in tight script across the bottom before passing the memo to Ron as he rose.

Ron only took a moment to memorize the address as well before rising himself and following as Harry dashed out the door, tearing right through the middle of the Junior and clerical desks, sending people diving to get out of their way. Harry's hand flung out and caught the edge of the door frame leading into the elevator. Using it to stop and swing around his other hand stabbed out and punched the lobby button followed by the emergency descent switch. Ron caught the other side and also flipped around and into the car.

A second later the grille smashed shut, rebounding a little off the other side as it locked in place. The compartment literally plummeted straight down the shaft so fast they nearly floated. In the few seconds it took to fall to the lobby Harry grabbed at the front of his robes and physically tore them off, sending buttons flying everywhere. Ron followed suit and couple of the little objects did float as they reached their destination. A special soft landing charm kept them from shattering every bone in their bodies as the car jerked to a stop. The golden grille slammed open a split second before they were through it, leaving their damaged robes behind. Some one from wardrobe would retrieve them soon.

More people Harry didn't have time to identify dodged to either side as they sped past the statue and reception desk. The security guard had only time to raise a hand before they were past him and into the entrance. In mid stride Harry turned in place and disappeared, followed a second later by Ron.

When they dropped back into the real world Harry understood instantly why Secrecy and protocol had been thrown out the window. They now stood across the street from a large brick building that had a parking lot to one side, a playground to the other and a sign reading 'Churchill Primary School' in the front over a wide gate that lead through the wrought iron fence. The six story building rose above the surrounding homes and flats, hundreds of square feet of glass looking out over the neighbor hood. The sky overhead was packed with dark clouds that cast the whole area in an eerie dim light. His mouth was suddenly dry at discovering the location and he felt a wave of fear pass through him as he glanced up.

At least thirty black cloaked horrors were circling the building, as if looking for something. Often one or more would dive toward a widow and hover for a few moments, clearly trying to see inside. Harry glanced around to the surrounding street. Maybe half a dozen muggles were in the area. They couldn't see the Dementors but they could feel the chill and the sudden wave of fear. Every one of them pulled their coat tighter and picked up the pace to get away from here as soon as possible. With the number of students that must be inside, the level of fear would be growing fast. The Dementors would be relishing the feelings being sucked out of the students and staff alike. They needed to get the kids away from the building, somewhere they could keep and eye on all of them.

"Bloody hell." Harry glanced over to see Ron staring at the shapes. The words seemed eminently appropriate.

"Focus Ron. Let's go!" He could feel warmth and focus floating over him as he filled himself with thoughts of Ginny and feelings she brought forth. He could sense the same thing happening to Ron at his side. Harry drew his wand and charged forward, Secrecy be damned. Ministry procedure would have a dozen people here in the next few minutes to secure the scene, but it was down to the two of them to stop the attack.

Taking the large concrete steps at the building's front two at a time Harry yanked the door open and followed Ron in. Fear was thick inside as they burst through the second set of doors. Harry had heard muggle witnesses recounting encounters with Dementors. To them it often seemed as if they were being haunted by very angry ghosts. The staff would likely be frozen, not sure what to do. They would also feel the Dementors but acknowledging it would lose them control with their students. They needed a distraction, a way to get the students out. After only a heartbeat Harry's mind locked onto the answer.

His eyes rapidly searched the wall near the doors and found what he sought. Using his bare fist to break the glass he grabbed the small handle inside and pulled with all his might, nearly ripping it right out of the wall. A moment later alarms went off throughout the school accompanied by flashing lights and blaring klaxons. Ron was looking around frantically trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Harry spoke quickly just loud enough for his partner to hear, which was pretty loud with the alarms in the background.

"It's a fire alarm! They should all file out right now!" True to his guess every classroom door swung open and frantic students rushed out in a neatly ordered frenzy. Harry and Ron hid their wands as the students flowed past them. "Drill! Just a drill!'' he shouted to the curious looks he was getting from staff members. He kept waving them past as he made his way deeper into the school. The actions must have confused the Dementors as well since he felt a slackening of the chill that was pervading the school.

Tearing through the rapidly emptying first floor they saw no signs the black cloaked monstrosities that were searching the building. Climbing up a floor they still couldn't find the Dementors. As they passed the front windows of the school on a small bridge Ron paused and pointed out the window. "Look! We've got back up!" Harry glanced down to see a very familiar man with black sunglasses standing in the street and staring up at the Dementors, students beginning to flow past him to designated assembly areas. His hand was on his wand, ready to draw at any moment to cover the students. His sword was plainly visible over his shoulder as well. He had come ready to fight to the death. The Dementor's death that was.

Waving to the eyeless warrior Harry continued on. Strangely the Dementors hadn't followed the children out of the building and now seemed to be refocused on whatever they were doing. Ascending another floor they caught a glimpse of a black cloak out a window but it quickly rose out of sight. They were only another half dozen steps down the hall when both cringed at an unearthly scream sounded from somewhere higher up. Harry knew that call, had heard it many times. It was the call of a Dementor to its brethren telling them it had found what they were seeking. Redoubling their speed they tore up more stairs as a Dementor crashed through the glass above them followed by several of its like.

Reaching the top floor they rounded the stairs to find a woman slumped against the wall, pure terror on her face. She slowly focused on them, eyes going wide. "H…Harry?" Surprised, he knelt by her side.

"You…know me?"

"J…Juliette Allison. Orphanage. Hidden door." The memory slammed back to Harry as he recalled the small girl that could see beyond the normal. But what was she doing here? "Dementors!" There was no time to ask though as she pointed toward a hall where cloaks were disappearing. "Anthony is down there!" That was all it took for Harry to rise and start off again. Ron paused only a second to tell her to get out front and pull her to her feet.

Harry was charging at top speed, wand once again held before him. "Expecto Patronum!" At Ron's shout the large terrier was suddenly running at Harry's side, and then in front of him. Rounding the corner with dog in the lead he was greeted by a terrifying sight. Dozens of black cloaks were hovering over the fallen form of a small boy. Power built in Harry and focused on his wand.

"Expecto Patronum!" The griffin erupted into being and crashed through the cloaks, scattering the Dementors in a flurry of soul shattering screams. Harry threw his feet forward and slid to a stop next to the boy on his knees, the griffin standing watch as the Dementors stayed just out of range. He quickly felt for a pulse, reassured as the boy twitched at his hands. "He's alive…and okay I think. We've got to get him out of here." Harry looked around and tried to catch his breath. Ron was also panting, his wand directing the terrier in a protective circle as the griffin held back cloaks with his mere presence.

After several seconds Harry knew what he had to do. "Ron…I can carry him out but I won't be able to hold the patronus. You'll have to keep us clear." Ron hesitated for just a moment before nodding firmly.

"Okay. I'll follow you." Harry nodded and raised his wand to direct the griffin in a furious circle. As it pushed the Dementors as far back as possible he got one arm behind the boy's back. Sending the silvery guardian on a final charge before sheathing his wand he quickly picked Anthony up across his arms and rose, already taking long strides toward the stairs. Relying on their speed to stay away from the descending cloaks at their backs Ron used the terrier to cut a path to the stairs. As the dog bashed aside everything in their way they crossed the hall and began taking steps three and four at a time. Unable to use his arms to stabilize himself Harry put all of his faith in his lightning reflexes to keep from crashing down the stairs. Spinning and slamming back first into walls as the flights changed direction he moved desperately to keep ahead of the floating cloaks.

Sensing the impending danger just in time Harry turned aside and headed down a hall as more Dementors came up the stairs toward them. Still trapped on the third floor they were running out of time and breath. Ron held the fear inducing abominations off for a few seconds as they backed down the hall trying to figure out where to go next. Harry glanced to the side and an insane plan came to mind. "Ron!" His head jerked to the side and saw where Harry was pointing with his chin. Incredulity crossed his face followed in short order by acceptance.

"What the hell. You only live once. Or like five times in your case. Come on!" Following Ron's lead Harry used what little was left of his stamina to charge full speed down the hallway. Copying Ron and just behind him he leapt shoulder first, doing his best to shield the boy across his arms.

Ron smashed a large enough hole through the safety glass that Harry barely touched it. He could hear the collective gasp of onlookers as they crashed through the windows of the third story, not a damn thing between them and concrete some thirty feet below. Harry could see Ron out of the corner of his eye turning in mid air and stabbing his wand straight at the ground, his words lost to the wind rushing past. He could also see the gap in the window filling with a black cloak. It emerged to pursue them, followed by another, and another.

After what seemed an interminable second they both landed surprisingly softly thanks to the charm Ron had launched from the sky. Rolling back to their feet they retreated rapidly away from the mass of black headed their way. Ron couldn't seem to catch his breath enough to bring back the terrier and Harry couldn't even grasp his wand. Just when it looked as if they were well and truly screwed a white shirt strode between them, sword collecting what little sunlight remained to glitter menacingly.

"Get back and keep an eye on the rest. I'll handle this." Harry and Ron had little choice but to agree and continue backing toward the group. As Keystone approached the massed Dementors hesitated. Apparently some of them remembered this man and the blade he carried. Keystone didn't hesitate. The blade off to his side in both hands he dashed straight for the massive figures. Under threat of imminent attack the creatures responded and dove toward him. The silver steel arced widely followed by another terrible scream as one of the black cloaks collapsed.

Reaching the crowd Harry turned and knelt on the pavement. Someone's coat was found to fold up under Anthony's head. A moment later a women dressed in white, obviously the school nurse, knelt by his side, cringing away from another horrible scream. Her hands moved over the boy quickly, professional intuition suppressing fear. After several seconds she let out a deep breath. "He's fine. Just passed out." Another coat was found a moment later to spread over him and provide some measure of warmth. Harry noticed that the air around them actually was growing warmer by the second. Sunlight was managing to penetrate the rolling layer of black clouds and reach the world once more.

As Harry rose and turned he could see why. Dozens of cloaks now covered the small courtyard near the steps, every one a remnant of one of the attacking Dementors. The former professor danced among the few remaining forms slashing in great glittering arcs with a blade running thick in black ooze. The Dementors had no choice but to engage the warrior, escape was not an option. Keystone's massive horntail dragon patronus was circling rapidly around the fight, cutting off any hope of running away the Dementors might have had. They had no choice but to fight to the grizzly end.

Glancing around Harry could see that many of the students and staff were staring transfixed at the sight. They couldn't see the surviving Dementors but each cloak became visible as its occupant was struck down and they could all follow the great silvery behemoth roaring around the courtyard and flailing this way and that. They could also see Keystone moving in practiced strikes, each causing a scream and cloak to appear out of thin air. It was almost a shame none of them here save a select few would ever remember this incredible display of martial arts.

Ron appeaered at his side with Agent Patinkin after several seconds. Both were staring at the battle with shock painting their faces. Neither of them had ever witnessed Keystone's Dementor slaying ability live and up close. It was even harder for the woman due to the fact she couldn't see the enemies he was fighting. Suddenly, with one long jumping stoke that dropped three of the monstrosities, the man had finished the battle and stood perfectly still, ooze dripping off his angled blade. From this distance he didn't even look to be breathing hard. Picking up a piece of cloth he wiped the blade clean, sheathed his wand to dispel the dragon and, with a flourish, returned his sword to the sheath on his back.

With the entire fight now complete Harry could see the man letting out a long breath. He turned afterwards and started toward them, kicking aside the cloaks that got in his way. Harry stepped away from the crowd and met him as he approached. Keystone glanced past him to the boy. "How is he?"

"Fine. We got to him in time."

"Good." The man let out another long breath and Harry could tell that if he still had eyes they would have closed in relief. He glanced back at the large group of black cloaks. "Thrity eight. All apparently sent to hunt down that one boy." Harry followed his gaze into the courtyard for a moment before turning back to the man.

"How… How did you know what was going on?" Keystone's head slowly swiveled back, his brow furrowed slightly. His arm rose to point down the street to some unseen destination.

"We were at a café having a late breakfast and trying to figure out what we were missing. And then…I knew." He paused for a moment, debating with himself. Finally he turned a little way back toward the cloaks. "I can…feel them. I've always been able to if I was close enough. With that many a couple miles is plenty close."

"Lucky thing too. If you hadn't shown up, we would have…"

"Been fine." Harry was taken back for a moment.

"Are you kidding? Against forty Dementors? Without your heroic actions we would have been in deep trouble." Harry could almost picture them trying to force back the cloaks while children screamed in fear.

"Heroic? No. Your actions were heroic. Your great power is to defend those who can't defend themselves. My only power is to destroy. That's not the mark of a hero. That's the mark of a killer. To defend another is the real action of a hero." Leaving Harry to his thoughts for a moment the man turned to survey the destruction he had wrought. This time when he turned his head Harry could see four bloody lines several inches long on the back left of the man's neck. Keystone noticed the gaze and raised his hand to the wound. It came away with blood on his fingertips. "Yeah…thought I felt something. I'm slower than I used to be. I'm rusty. Been out of the game for far too long." Harry was about to question it further when a woman he belatedly realized was Julliette stumbled up beside him.

"Mr.…Mr. Potter?" Harry turned and managed to force half a smile.

"Yes? Are you all right?" She nodded shakily.

"I'll be fine. I…" Her eyes moved quickly over to the black cloaks and paused as they passed Keystone on their way back to Harry. "I called the Ministry about…them." In a moment Harry switched from considering warrior to investigating Auror. He knew the change in demeanor was palpable. It helped push away the tiredness with renewed focus.

"Thank you. Might I ask why you were here?" She nodded slowly.

"I was visiting a friend of mine from the orphanage. She became a teacher to help children. I'd read about the Dementor attacks and the warnings in the _Prophet_. When I felt the first waves of fear I ran to the window and saw them gliding on the street. So I called the Ministry as fast as I could. I've never tried a patronus charm before and I…I couldn't makes it…" She trailed off as Harry set a hand on her shoulder.

"You tried, that what counts." He glanced back to where Ron was standing guard with Patinkin and trying to maintain some order in the terrified children and befuddled staff. "Now…could you go talk to your friend and help her rally the teachers? We need to get everyone together in one place. The backup from the Ministry will be here soon." After a moment she nodded and hesitantly turned back to the group. Harry watched for a second as she stumbled off toward her friend before returning his stare to the building. Ron appeared at his side and followed his gaze. They were both focusing on the shattered window pane that resulted from their hasty departure from the building.

"You know," Ron began, a contemplative look in his eye, "I think I'll leave that part out when I tell Hermione about this." Harry found himself nodding at the idea while mentally debating whether to tell Ginny. In Hermione's case they would both end up being berated for such a foolhardy and dangerous stunt as jumping out of a third floor window. Though Ginny would chide him a little her larger complaint would be not being there to do it as well.

They both turned back as a dozen cars slid to a halt on either side of the group of teachers and students. Moments later the doors were flung open and upwards of forty men and women in a variety of robes and muggle clothes jumped out. The Ministry had arrived.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	12. Ch 11: Standard Procedure

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 11 

**Standard Procedure**

"Merlin! What the bloody hell happened here?" Harry turned to find the bewildered Arthur Weasley making his way over from one of the lead cars. His eyes were surveying the scene from the stunned forms of the children and their caretakers to the mounds of black cloaks to the large hole in the third floor window. His eyes widened at falling on Keystone who was using a torn piece of cloak to wipe the blood off the back of his neck. A witch, who Harry couldn't name but could place as head of the Memory Modification and Secrecy Enforcement division, appeared at Arthur's side, similarly assessing the damage. She let out a long whistle a moment later.

"You certainly don't do anything half arsed, do you Mr. Potter?" She glanced around once more before settling her eyes on him. "So…what happened?" This wasn't the first time he'd had to deal with this department and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Dementor Attack, thirty eight at last count. We got everyone outside by pulling the fire alarm before searching the building and finding that boy," he pointed toward the unconscious child, "surrounded. We were forced to flee through the window and came out here while Mr. Keystone cut them down. Oh, and Miss Allison over there in the blue blouse is a witch." Harry paused for just a moment before pointing out one other person. "And Miss Patinkin there has exemption." The woman took it all in stride, nodding at each piece of information. She had dealt with much stranger than this to be sure though the shear scope seemed to daunt her.

"Killed Dementors? Never heard of that before. Still…" She trailed off for a few more moments before turning to Arthur. "Okay…we'll set it as an unexpected fire drill. That explains why they're all outside, the residual fear and has the benefit of being mostly true." Arthur nodded firmly in agreement.

"Sounds good. Get to it." She nodded sharply to her boss.

"Yes sir." She stepped away from them and raised her hand to gather the attention of the others that had arrived with them. Her voice sounded loud and clear across the area under the influence of the _sonorous_ charm. She spoke as a raised finger made circles in the air indicating the area. "Okay people! Shut it down!" A couple of the magical personnel in the area turned outward and began casting wide muggle repelling charms. The rest turned inward and aimed their wands at the surprised group. As one they cast expansive sleep spells that quickly over took the students and staff. Like a wave of dominos they all grew suddenly very tired and laid down right where they were to take a little nap.

The woman's voice sounded again, doling out instructions. "Good. Memory Modifiers, we're going with unexpected fire drill. Get to work and make sure you don't miss anyone. Addison, mark her, in the blue blouse. No modification on her. Everyone else, follow Arthur and deal with the building." Her voice returned to normal as the charm dissipated. "Sir." With a nod of the head to Mr. Weasley she turned and began helping with the memory modification. As she stepped away the remaining witches and wizards, mostly the ones dressed robes, strode in a group toward them.

With a wave of his hand Arthur lead them through the front gates and into the courtyard where black cloaks were strewn about intermixed with bits of black ooze. Harry and Ron followed after leaving Keystone to keep an eye on Patinkin and the modification crew. "Bundle and burn the cloaks. Leave one or two for the people in Mysteries. They always like something odd to study." A couple of wizards separated from the group and began floating the cloaks into a large pile. The garments still had a cold feel as they walked past, traces of their former owners showing through after destruction. Arthur pointed as they moved closer to the door. "Collect the glass. We'll need it to fix the window." A Witch broke off and began collecting the various bits.

Passing through the doors he pointed his wand at the alarm Harry had pulled. With a flick the flashing lights and blaring alarms promptly died. "You know the drill. Get to it." At that command the witches and wizards immediately spread out through the building, their trained eyes looking for anything that didn't fit to repair or erase, restoring the school to its pre-attack condition. Gesturing for them to follow, he led Ron and Harry toward the stairs. They followed in silence as he climbed up the flights to arrive on the third floor. His destination became obvious as he turned a corner and the shattered window came into view.

Slowing to a stop in front of the man sized hole he gazed out through the opening. Harry's gaze followed his down to the Ministry employees moving quickly among the sleeping children. A small ball of light appeared over each of them as a witch or wizard finished modifying their memory. After a long pause the man spoke. "I remember back in your seventh year…Halloween. I heard there was a scene similar to this one. Dementors had been destroyed. It was never openly talked about at the time. A man who could kill Dementors? A lot of people didn't even take it seriously. And yet…here I stand and see the same thing." He turned and stared at Harry. "How?"

Harry glanced at Ron, not entirely sure he should explain. But he knew the man was trustworthy, had been the closest thing to father he had. "Keystone's sword. It's extremely magical and gives him the ability to destroy them." One of Mr. Weasley's eyebrows cocked up at that.

"Really? Must be quite a powerful magical artifact. I can think of half a dozen people in the Ministry that would love to see it. I wonder if…" His eyes rotated down to the man standing near the gates before moving to his son.

"Don't even bother asking. He won't. And don't think about "borrowing" it either. Harry, I and the rest of the Auror Corps combined probably couldn't get it away from him." Arthur was clearly surprised at the statements. His eyes still betrayed a mind working on the problem but his mouth moved onto other things.

"So…this boy…"

"Anthony."

"Anthony. He was the target of the attack?" Ron nodded slowly.

"It looks that way. At least he was the one they went after. I guess we'll never know for sure. No harm done ultimately." Harry cocked his head to the side for a moment, not sure he agreed with that assessment. Glancing out the window his eyes fell on the large stack of black cloaks burning in magical fire within the courtyard. They would be reduced to less than ashes and even that would be scattered to the wind. The fire burned so hot there wasn't even smoke to give away what was going on. A couple of the cloaks would already be bundled away in one of the cars for return to the Ministry Department of Mysteries. Harry had no inclination to further study Dementors, but plenty of other people in the building did.

A lone woman was moving among the students, Juliette he realized a moment later, and making sure they were all okay. Her memories would be left intact and it would be up to her not to reveal what had really happened. Having the knowledge of what had actually taken place when all the muggles around you had no idea could be a strain, but he knew she could handle it. And so one person in the building would be awake and remember. She could help convince the others as they woke. Everything would be just a distant half remembered feeling. As if to emphasize the point a small bundle of glass rose into the opening and hovered there. Pointing his wand at it, Mr. Weasley spoke.

"_Reparo_." The glass pieces slotted themselves perfectly into place as the cracks healed from the outside in. In a heartbeat it was over and the window stood undamaged, as if nothing had ever happened. Harry placed a hand against it and pushed lightly, instinctively testing its renewed strength. They turned as one of the repair team members approached, erasing the few streaks from Ron and Harry's shoes that had been left in the floor while they had dashed at the window. Reaching them, she looked up.

"We're about done sir. Everything seems to be back to normal. We're pulling out ask we speak." Arthur nodded, obviously impressed by their proficiency.

"Good. You know procedure. See you back at the Ministry Madeline."

"Yes sir." With a nod she turned and headed for the stairs, eyes still checking constantly as she walked. Arthur drew a gold pocket watch from within his robes and glanced at it.

"Good time. Well gentlemen, we'd better get out of here." Harry and Ron again followed as he swept back down the hallway and toward the steps. Harry took a few moments to consider how much Arthur Weasley had changed in the years since they'd met. He was still a workaholic, muggle loving man who doted on his family, but he had gained quite a bit of bearing in the time that had passed. As he strode through the building now he got respectful nods and people snapping to attention. He had never been disrespected at the Ministry, but he didn't have to work as hard for it anymore. Harry grinned to himself a little at the next thought. Being the father of one and father-in-law of the other two of the three great young heroes of the Second War had also brought him a certain amount of fame.

They had collected a few stragglers as they went and reached the doors with half a dozen people in tow. Arthur gestured them on before pointing his wand at the small lever and reactivating the alarms and flashing lights throughout the building. Thankful to be leaving the noise they stepped outside. Harry glanced around the open space as they crossed it. The cloaks were gone, the bits of black ooze was gone and even the skid marks from Keystone's shoes had vanished. Again, like nothing had ever happened.

Passing through the front gates they came to the woman Harry still couldn't put a name to. She was gathering her people and sending them off to the cars. A few would remain behind and act the part of onlookers to help the staff believe what their modified memories told them was true. Harry had experienced memory modification a couple times. It was required as part of the Auror training course as an attempt to give them an idea what it felt like so they could recognize the sensation should it ever happen to them. The instructor attempting to charm Harry had been shocked when neither of the attempts had any effect on him. Apparently his resistance to the Imperius curse and Veelas extended to other types of bewitchment as well.

All of the repair team had piled into the vehicles and some were pulling away as the woman swished her wand and the marking lights above each unconscious form disappeared. With a nod to Arthur she to headed for the cars. He turned to them as Keystone arrived with Patinkin by his side. "There'll be some room in my car if you four would like a ride back to the Ministry." Harry and Ron glanced at each other, nodding thankfully.

"Yes sir. We'd rather not walk it." His gaze switched over to the other two to find Keystone shaking his head.

"Thanks but no. We were nearby anyway. We'll just get back to that."

"As you wish. I'll be in car." He turned and headed for one of the larger vehicles, its extended form clearly including a second back seat. Harry turned to Keystone as the older man drew his wand and tapped the handle of his sword. A moment later the sword, sheath and the wand itself nearly disappeared under a disillusionment charm. He glanced at them.

"Let me know how things go." At Harry's nod he gestured to the agent and followed her down the street and back to wherever they had come from. With a jerk of his head Harry indicated the car his boss had entered. They followed and climbed in, thankful to collapse onto the comfortable seats.

* * *

"So…that's case closed and good work all around." Harry stared at the Minister of Magic for several moments, dumbstruck. He had just finished his verbal report to the man about the incident at Churchill School with Ron at his side. Arthur Weasley stood to the Minister's side, his face just as intent. Harry thought it ludicrous to consider the case closed at this point; clearly it had all been a diversion. He said as much. 

"No sir…I don't believe it is. Good work yes, but not the end of the case. This Dementor attack…clearly it's some sort of diversion." The Minister considered him for a moment. It spoke to the respect the man had for Harry that he took the time.

"But Mr. Potter… Here we have an attack that looks identical to those that have occurred before. Everything points to this being the work of a rogue group of Dementors. Dementors I might add which are now destroyed. How is this not case closed?"

"Because it's not the same! The previous attacks were all against magical people, and now they just happen to go after a muggle boy? I don't buy it."

"Then it was obviously chance that picked their targets. The previous two attacks just happened to be witches. There is no official evidence that points to anything else. So officially it's case closed."

"No it's not!" Harry's yell was halfway to a roar. Harry could feel the assistants to his side flinch and Ron behind him take half a step back into a reflexive defense stance. Arthur looked shocked. Strangely only the Minister hadn't changed expression. "Someone is out there right now hunting and assaulting people! It's not just Dementors! Why can't you see that?!" Despite the warning look in Mr. Weasley's eye and Ron's hand on his shoulder, Harry hadn't backed down one bit. Finally the Minister rose from his seat, his voice rising a little as well.

"Why? Because you haven't convinced me Mr. Potter! Show me one solid shred of evidence that can't be chalked up to Dementors! One thing that proves something else is behind this!" Harry knew his anger was taking over, felt it happening. But as was so often the case, was also powerless to stop it.

"We have! The evidence of the alleyway duel for one!"

"Supposedly linked by a wound that wasn't there. And to explain that you tell me this mysterious attacker healed her! You're doing everything with the evidence short of actually faking it to fit your theory!"

"There was a battle at the car park! You saw the evidence!"

"Ah, yes! Another attacker with a heart of gold who saves their victim from a fall. Very convenient as it plays perfectly into your design without actually requiring proof! At best you're twisting facts, at worst you've become so obsessed with this mysterious attacker you're willfully misrepresenting evidence to support it!" Harry had well and truly succumbed to his rage now. That much was clear in his next outburst, one he never would have made otherwise.

"So this is the Minister you're going to be? This is what the Ministry has once more become? Just ignore it and hope it goes away?! Just because you're too much of a coward to-"

"Enough!" The man did roar as his hand slammed down on the desk, sending the assistants diving for cover. Something in the man's voice, his commanding tone and perhaps the death grip Ron had on his shoulder, broke through the haze of anger. He realized in an instant he had been yelling at the Minister of Magic in the man's own office while his father and brother in-law looked on. And he had called the man a coward, a reversion to the first term of Fudge and Scrimgeour. In that period of shock the Minister seemed to recover himself and sat back down. "I understand, a little, your passion for this case Mr. Potter. All the cases you work on. Indeed it's what makes you the best team of Aurors we have and will, if you want, I'm sure one day lead you to this very chair. But until you can provide me with some real solid evidence that this is more than the actions of disgruntled Dementors, I have no choice but to declare the case officially closed." He closed the file and handed it to Arthur. "You're dismissed." He could feel Ron's hand pulling at his shoulder.

"Ye…yes…sir." Harry knew he should be happy he hadn't just been sacked, but all he felt was distress at loosing his case. He half turned and shook off Ron's hand.

"Oh…Mr. Potter?" Harry turned back to the Minister. The man's voice had changed considerably in a few seconds. Half looking up from the desk he peered over the top of his reading spectacles.

"Yes?"

"The case may be officially closed…but unofficially…" He let that hang for a moment. "I really can't control what you do with your own time or officially support it with Ministry resources. But I'm sure you have many friends who would help at your request. And a backlog of vacation days should you need them." He paused again as Harry was surprisingly reminded of Dumbledore in the way the man was suggesting, rather than ordering, a possible course of action. "Bring me hard evidence and I'll reopen the file in a heartbeat."

"Y…yes sir!"

"Good. Dismissed." He turned his eyes back to the desk and waved for Arthur to come closer. Harry just caught his father-in-law's grin as he leaned in. Stepping quickly he followed Ron out of the office and toward the elevators. Judging by the reaction of the assistants, they hadn't heard his tirade. Falling thankfully back against the wall of the elevator car he let out a long breath. He put a hand to his temple as he spoke.

"That just happened right? I just yelled at the Minister of Magic and called him a coward?" Ron also let out a long breath as he nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah it did. However…he didn't sack you right away so that's something." Harry shook his head a couple times, still not entirely believing the idiocy he'd just engaged in.

"Wow… I'm surprised half the building didn't hear me." Ron actually managed a half grin as he raised his wand.

"Uh…silencing charm. I can kind of tell when you get like that and I thought…"

"Thanks. I owe you one." Ron managed a full grin this time.

"So what's that make it? Harry 347…Ron 2?" Harry managed to find a chuckle somewhere and let it out at that.

"Actually I think was three hundred forty eight…"

"Oh shut up. I think you need a game of wizard's chess to remind you who the better man is."

"Sure. But how am I going to play myself?" Ron rolled his eyes as he stepped from the elevator car. Harry followed him across the main office. "Actually…we might as well play since we don't have a case anymore."

"My thoughts exactly."

Settling into his chair Harry focused intently on the board. Normally at this stage, after an investigation was closed, they would take a few minutes closing files, sending them down to records, clearing off the bulletin board and just physically removing any trace of it from the office. It helped to wipe the slate clean and get ready for the next one to come their way. That would traditionally be followed by a visit to the Leaky Cauldron or one a select group of other pubs, muggle and magical, around the city for a celebratory beer and a bit of boasting about who had made the critical breakthrough and who owed who their job. This would usually result in one of them dragging the other home to sleep off the slight bout of drunkenness. When both of them went too far they would take a cab or the Knight Bus. Either way they invariably tried to pay with the wrong money.

This time however no files were closed, no pictures moved. Though officially over, the case was very mush alive in their office and would remain so until they caught the real attacker. Harry still considered going out and getting a little drunk. He pushed the idea away quickly. If he started drinking when thinks went wrong it would only be a downward spiral, likely resulting in him destroying his reputation. Then again…picture of him slobbering drunk would increase his fame… He nearly laughed out loud at that thought. If there was anything he didn't need it was more fame, especially that kind.

Settling back into the game he let a small corner of his mind work on the case while he played his way into another defeat.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	13. Ch 12: Muggle Born

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 12

**Muggle Born**

As expected the cover of _The Daily Prophet_ the following day was emblazoned with a headline trumpeting the protection of a muggle school and destruction of the rogue Dementors that had been behind at least one attack on the isles by some of the Ministry's premier Aurors. They had dug up one of the many stock photos of Harry and Ron as well as added a cropped version of the Heroes of Hogwarts cover picture of Keystone which stacked nicely beneath a recent picture of the Churchill School. The photo of the then professor had been magically aged and gave a decent representation of him, though in the picture he still had eyes.

Harry continued glancing through it checking partially for accuracy and partially to pass the time. The press conference held by the Minister and Arthur Weasley had assured people the problem had most likely been dealt with while reminding the public to maintain vigilant until it could be proved whether or not this was the only group of Dementors running wild. The paper had taken the liberty of recapping the Dementor attack on Hogwarts sixteen years ago and comparing the results, as well as the people involved, to the present incident. One of the writers also took it upon themselves to question why a person with the ability to destroy the creatures wasn't on permanent retainer at the Ministry. That brought a chuckle as Harry read it.

It was only a mild surprise when, a couple minutes later, a knock at his door drew his attention to just such a person standing in the door way. At Harry's gesture Keystone stepped in and held up a folded paper. "Case closed?" Harry nodded slowly.

"Officially. For now." The man cocked an eyebrow in response.

"Officially? You saying there's an unofficial angle here? Do you mind?" The last he added as he gestured to the couch sitting against the office wall. Harry shook his head.

"Not at all. And yes there is an unofficial angle. Unofficially I can still pursue the problem at my discretion. Though obviously I won't have the same amount of resources available, I still have quite a few friends in the building." Keystone nodded thoughtfully as he sat and leaned a little forward, always careful to keep the sword clear. As he did so Harry folded up his own copy of the Prophet and tossed it aside onto his desk. He glanced to the other desk, currently devoid of its owner. Ron was away once more for a 'family' lunch. Though now it would be only him and his wife.

"Good." They were both silent for some time, Keystone clearly trying to articulate some thought and Harry not sure what to say. After several minutes the older man finally spoke. "I've been thinking. Are we just chasing phantoms? Is there something out there or was it really Dementors all along and we were making things up that fit what we wanted?" Harry was stunned that the man who had originally constructed the case and brought it to him was asking whether it was a figment of a deranged imagination. It was such a change from the man that had instructed him in Defense and taught him more about fighting than he had ever knew existed that he could only muster one response.

"What the hell happened to you?" Keystone's head popped up at that response, clearly not expecting admonishment from a former student. Harry was unmoved though and continued. "You taught at Hogwarts for year. You taught me more about fighting in six months than I'd learned in six years despite my destiny. And not once in all that time did you second guess yourself. Not once did you waver from what you believed. So…what the hell happened to the Professor Keystone I knew then?" Harry could almost see the surprised blink that should have crossed his former teacher's face.

The man sat up a little straighter, clearly trying to come up with a counter for this attack. After several moments he slumped back a little. "I got older. And I got tired. I got tired of fighting. Can you imagine what that was like? I told you once I was addicted to the rush I got from fighting. I still am. But it got to the point where it wasn't enough. And I walked away." Now it was Harry's turn to cock an eyebrow. Except for a short conversation following Halloween seventh year the man had never spoken about himself so personally. After considering for a moment Harry decided to push.

"What happened?" Keystone shrugged a little and leaned back. Thought crossed his features as if for the first time considering the question himself.

"What happened? I'm not really sure. After the end of the year…I went back to the states. Rejoined the Dueling Club. I won the Freestyle tournament again, despite my loss of sight." Harry vaguely recalled seeing an American newspaper clipping someone had sent him, the headline 'Blind Swordsman Wins' sprawled across the top. "And I won again. And again. Six more victories sans eyes. Ten in a row altogether. A decade of championships. Not your level of fame by a long shot, but still impressive within certain circles. But, I had a problem. One that, whether you know it or not, you've never had to deal with." He paused again for a moment, trying to articulate the words in his head.

"I've never had a lot of friends. In fact I'm fairly certain I'll die cold and alone. I made peace with that long ago. But there had usually been a couple. But then Matt got killed…and Sarah decided to stay here and teach Potions at Hogwarts. Suddenly my life was just one long string of fights. Winning and training so I could win the next. I got bored. So I dropped out of magical life for a few years. Just lived as a muggle here and there. I trained of course. But…I didn't fight. Except for the rare bar brawl.

"I got back into magical life just a year ago. I began independently investigating strange phenomena I though might have been wizard related. Haunting, disappearances, that kind of thing. And then I ran across the cases I brought to you. As soon as I found out about a couple of them I began constructing ideas about how they could be linked. Everything happened so fast from there on that I didn't really stop to consider I might be wrong until I saw the paper this morning. I wondered then for a moment if I hadn't perhaps rushed things and constructed a suspicion out of nothing. Perhaps I was eager enough for something to pursue, and enemy to fight, that I didn't consider the possibility no such enemy existed after all." He fell silent, a contemplative furrow in his brow.

Harry waited several moments, wondering just how deeply this had been eating him. "Well…I think you're right. Ron thinks you're right. The Minister is even open to the idea. We went through this that day at lunch. Dementor's alone don't make sense. There has to be someone behind this." It took a while but eventually the man nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. You're right." He rose a minute later and tossed the paper in the trash can sitting next to Ron's desk. "Well…I'll let you get back to your 'official' duties. Katherine and I are going to go over the files again and keep looking around the Isles. We'll let you know if we find anything."

"Okay. Good luck."

"You too." Keystone turned and left with a slightly stronger stride. After a momentary bemused stare Harry grabbed his own copy of the Prophet off the desk and began paging through it. The next time he folded it down, some minutes later, was at the sound of someone falling into a chair across from his desk. Ron was leaning back and looking rather pleased with himself. Harry set the paper aside and cocked an eye brow at his friend.

"Do I even want to know what you and Hermione were doing over lunch?" Ron turned toward him and broke into a malicious grin. Harry braced himself for whatever bit of unwanted trivia he was about to be subjected to and desperately tried to think of the name of a good memory charmer.

"Well…if you must know what my _wife_ and I were up to…" He paused for dramatic effect, clearly enjoying the effect this was having on his friend. "We were…at lunch. However, since this is one of the first times we've gone out for our lunch with out the kids, I didn't have to set any sort of example." Harry could almost picture Ron's eating habits when his kids weren't around. It was a truly scary sight. Harry broke into a smile a moment later.

"Oh, she must have loved that."

"Hey, we cut a deal. She doesn't complain about the way I eat when the kids aren't around, I do my best to eat like a human being when they are. It all works out."

"Fair enough. So…how was lunch?"

"Good. Strange with out at least one of the kids though. It almost felt like back before they were born. Or those few moths we spent actually dating after seventh year." Harry's head cocked to the side.

"You weren't dating during seventh year?" Ron suppressed a laugh.

"My mum thinks so. What we _were_ doing during seventh year I wouldn't describe to my mother with a wand to my head." Harry could agree whole heartedly with that thought. There was a good deal he had done with Ginny during her seventh year he wouldn't describe to her mother with several wands held by a dozen Death Eaters to his head.

"Agreed. Some things are better left unsaid." He waited for several moments as they thought that through and moved on. "So…what's on the list of things to do for today?" Ron glanced around the office and shook his head.

"Nothing. We were still expected to be on the Dementor case so all the new files are being shunted off to other people for a couple days." Harry shrugged.

"Well then…might as well work on the Dementor case." With a nod Ron summoned over one of the pertinent case files and began thumbing through it. Harry grabbed the folder containing notes about the attack on the school. If it was a diversion then there had to be some connection to the previous victims.

The days began to wear on and the duo got back into the regular routine of sorting through files, checking cases and investigating strange occurrences. They had again started to take trainees out into the field. Having supposedly cracked the Dementor case, and the eyewitness reports of the part they played in the fight, made their time a very valuable commodity among the recruits. Harry had heard more than once that candidates for their tag along program were very nearly coming to blows over who would get into what spot on the rotation. That wasn't quite what they had intended with the program but it was good to see such enthusiasm for the job. Now all they had to do was direct the enthusiasm away from them personally and toward the work at hand.

While he had gotten back into the routine Harry also continued to pursue the Dementor case. He was sure that somewhere in the pile of papers he had from both here and America there were the critical facts that would lead him to crack the case and find the real attacker. All he needed was to be smart enough to find it. And so he pored over the case files. Forward, backward, in random order. Every time trying to find the links and connections that would bring the files into focus. He had even tried plotting the location of each attack on a map. It was an interesting exercise as he had included the American cases. Though he had a rough idea where some of the major cities were located, he found himself frequently consulting maps and atlases to figure out most of the others.

Nothing however seemed to work. He kept at it though; increasingly convinced he was on the verge of uncovering the piece of the puzzle that had so far eluded him. As his conviction in this idea grew, so did the amount of time he was spending on it. Since he couldn't 'officially' work on the case he found himself coming in early and staying a little late to spend time on it. Instead of the approval he expected for his extra hard work ethic he was instead bombarded by concerned looks and caught more than a few whispers about how he was 'over doing it.' He pushed these aside though and continued sorting through the files, sure there was one scrap he had overlooked.

He felt mild annoyance that Ron wasn't currently sharing his enthusiasm for the investigation and occasionally seemed to try to divert him from thinking about it with wizard's chess or the mention he had spent Saturday morning on it already. He had, but only a couple times. Hermione also seemed disinterested on his ruminations and far more engaged in the work she was doing in conjunction with the Department of Mysteries trying to recreate a Time Turner. She also seemed to be trying to distract him with early dinner invitations. How could he get there only an hour after the Ministry closed? He pushed these thoughts aside though; sure they would be plenty interested once he found the elusive piece.

Ginny was also seemingly trying to distract him. She must be slowly moving dinner earlier and earlier. It was the only explanation for why he was constantly late. And having the kids constantly at him for his time when he was trying to work on the case at home was surely her work as well. But all he had to do was figure it out and then he could deal with her little machinations.

As he sat in war room one evening, the one place in his house he was sure the kids wouldn't disturb him; he glanced to the opening door to see Ginny entering. He nodded and returned to his files as she sat down across the table from him. After several moments she took a long breath.

"Harry?"

"Uh…yeah?" He didn't look up, his eyes still tracing over the papers. Somewhere…it was here somewhere.

"Harry."

"Yeah?" His head stayed down, staring at the files. After a moment he felt her hand come to rest on his, squeezing it lightly. It took a second for that to penetrate his mind. After it did he looked up and blinked. She was staring at him with more concern than he could remember for a very long time. Even that took a moment to sink in. He leaned a little closer to her, wondering what had brought this on. "What?"

"I…" She was unable to continue. She tried again only to once more find herself powerless to go on. Finally she reached to the side and held something out with her free hand. "Just…just look at this. Really look." Harry took what appeared to be a picture frame and turned it to face him. To his surprise it was a small mirror. He glanced back up at her after seeing his own reflection.

"A mirror?"

"Just…look. Please." Harry was confused. He looked in the mirror every morning when he got ready for work and a couple times during the day when he checked his appearance. Maybe this was some sort of enchanted mirror? Harry did as she asked and gazed deep into the mirror wondering what he might find there.

After nearly a minute his eyes sprang open at the strange face staring back at him. It couldn't be him. This face was drawn and tired. Deep circles had formed under the eyes and his skin was pale. His eyes were blood shot and nearly red. The hair was messier than it had ever been. He looked manic, insane. Harry slowly raised his other hand to touch his cheek. The being in the mirror did the same. He could feel the lines that had formed from lack of sleep. A blink matched the obsessive eyes in the mirror. Slowly his gaze broke away to meet his wife's. It was still full of concern, worry and just a shade of fear. Her voice carried the same emotions.

"I…I let it go as long as I could. I hoped you would snap out of it yourself. I know you can be dedicated Harry, it's one of the things I love about you. But this…" She spread her hands to indicate the papers strewn about the table. "This is obsession. You need to stop. It's hurting you, your friends…me. Even…your children." Though as gentle as she had ever spoken to him in a normal conversation, each word hit him like a slap. The last stung as if she had reached out backhanded him.

"They… What happened?" The mirror lay now, as the papers, forgotten on the table. "What…" She hesitated for a moment, clearly working up the words.

"It…it was the reason I finally came in here. Lily…" She paused again. "Lily fell asleep outside the workshop last night. She waited for you for three hours after you told her you'd be right there. I finally carried her down to bed around ten." Though her voice had never risen a bit she could as well have been screaming at him for the impact it made. His whole face fell, eyes open wide and distraught. His mouth moved silently, unable to form a coherent word. He looked briefly down at the papers, the things that apparently been more important than his own children. With a start he pushed back away from them as if they were on fire.

"I…I…" His gaze slowly drifted back up to Ginny, realization of what he had done to his friends and family crashing down around him. "Oh Merlin…what have I done?" After a moment she rose and rounded the table, pulling him into an embrace he was positive he didn't deserve. He could feel her gently running a hand over the back of his head while he stared out, fear creeping into him. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head as she spoke.

"Nothing that can't be repaired. I hope." His arms rose shakily to return the embrace. "Come to bed. You…really…need to rest. Take the weekend, fix all the stuff you've managed to screw up and start fresh next week. It'll still be here." At the last she gestured to the paperwork on the table. He couldn't bring himself to look at it. With her support he rose and stumbled down the hallway, collapsing into their bed before he could even pull off his shoes.

Sleeping late the next morning Harry took a good long look in the mirror as he got ready to face the day. It wasn't as messed up or obsessed as the one he had seen the previous night, but it wasn't really his either. Doing what he could to bring himself back he headed out to try and make things right. He found Lily, as expected, hunkered down in her favorite chair in the library. After several moments of indecision at the doorway he finally stepped in and sat across from her. She glanced up, her eyes just peering over the top of the book

"Morning Dad." Her gaze had fallen back to the words before she had finished. Harry took a deep breath.

"Good morning Lily." He hesitated for several moments not sure how to begin. Reaching out he slid a finger over the book and pulled it down, forcing her to meet his gaze. She stared at him blankly, waiting. "I came to say I'm sorry." Her eyes widened slightly at that. "I haven't been nearly as a good a father as you deserve the last couple weeks. Somehow…I forgot. I'm sorry I did. I'm sorry I forgot that I promised to meet you at the workshop. I'm sorry I haven't paid as much attention to you lately as I should. I'm sorry I ever let work get between me and my family. Most of all I'm sorry I betrayed your trust." Her eyes had grown steadily wider at his confession and she now stared at him as if not quite sure what to make of it. And then she asked the simplest and most difficult question she could.

"Why?"

"Why…?"

"Why did you forget? What was so important?" Harry swallowed hard at that.

"Because…people were in trouble. They were hurting. And I couldn't help them. You may not understand exactly what I mean, but I have a tendency to think I can save everyone, all the time. And when I can't I get angry and start obsessing over it. And then I start neglecting things. And people." His head fell forward a little; still not able to comprehend he had willingly ignored his own daughter in favor of work. "I'm…I'm so sorry Lily."

After what seemed a year he heard her draw breath to speak once more. "That's the same reason you said you fought. The same reason you…killed. To protect people. That's always why you do things?" He nodded slowly and blinked several times at the way she had reduced many of the actions in his life to one simple drive.

"Almost always." She stared at him a while longer, again trying to reconcile his action now, the things she had read and the man she had grown up with as a father. Her gaze turned strangely serious.

"It is ever going to happen again?" Harry managed a week smile and shook his head.

"No. Never again." Once more she paused.

"Good. Your eyes were kind of scary." Harry managed a faint laugh at that. It wasn't over. It would take time for him to rebuild the trust he had lost in the last few days, but at least it didn't seem beyond hope. After a moment he glanced down at the book once more.

"So…what are you reading?"

* * *

With a few nights solid rest and a good deal of recuperative time spent with his children, Harry nearly danced into the Ministry Monday morning with a smile on his face and a tune in his heart. People were once again staring at him as he made his way up and to his office, apparently surprised at the change since they had last seen him on Friday. Sliding into his office just a few moments before official starting time he found Ron already there paging through a file.

As he entered and switched into his robes Ron watched him, clearly not quite sure what to make of the changed man. After several moments, during which Harry fell lightly into his chair, Ron spoke the only words he could summon up. "What the hell happened to you?" Harry smiled brightly at his best friend causing the man to cringe back just a little.

"Ginny!"

"Ginny… Ginny your wife, my sister Ginny?" Harry nodded enthusiastically.

"The very same."

"Okay… And what did she do. Actually…do I want to know?"

"Yep! She gave me a much needed, good solid kick in the head." Ron could only stare at his friend and blink for several moments before melting into a malicious grin.

"That's all it took? Hell, I should have done that two weeks ago!" Harry found himself laughing even as he shook his head.

"Oh no Ron. It wouldn't have worked. You see…it required a certain feminine touch. Just the right twist of the ankle as her foot came around to clear my sight with out breaking my skull."

"Break your skull? I was about to try that too."

"You and what army?"

"Dumbledore's. You know they'd help. And after all the training you helped us with I'll be damned if I'm going to let you self destruct like this. Thank Merlin Ginny dealt with you before I had to. That was honestly not a fight I was looking forward to." He fell silent as they shared a laugh.

"Sorry Ron. For the way I've been lately." Ron merely shrugged it off.

"It happens. Though hopefully not too often." Harry could only nod at that. Accepting a case file from Ron he began paging through and preparing for the arrival of the day's trainees. A few minutes into the research a letter appeared from the door's mail slot and dropped to the floor. Setting aside his own file Ron rolled over in the chair and picked it up. "'s for me." Harry nodded as he friend broke the seal and opened it. He glanced over what appeared to be a rather short note quickly and gave it a thoughtful look.

"What is it?" Ron leaned over and almost held it out before hesitating.

"You can only read this if you promise not to turn back into an obsessive insane wreck." Harry held out his hand and nodded.

"Cross my heart and hope to…whatever." Ron hesitated for a moment lager before handing it over.

"Very convincing. You should be an actor. Shakespearian even." Harry let out a small chuckle.

"I can see it now. "To be or not to be, that is…you know what? Screw it. Anybody want to hit the pub?'" While Ron laughed to himself Harry glanced at the note.

_Mr. Weasley,_

_The child you wrote about is indeed on the student list and  
scheduled to arrive two years from now. I hope this helps  
your investigation._

_Minerva McGonagall,  
Headmistress, Hogwarts School_

Ron nodded toward the paper. "We kept trying to figure out a link to the other victims. I took a shot in the dark." Harry nodded appreciatively at that.

"Well…good to know it's not all obsessive paranoia. So…tack his picture up?" Ron nodded and pulled an already prepared photo from his desk. Harry tacked it up on the bulletin board and smiled as the blue 'Stopped' unfurled next to the date of the attack.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	14. Ch 13: A Special Case

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): A quick heads up here. I've got a bunch of crap to deal with in the next couple weeks so updates will be little slow for the next few chapters.

* * *

Chapter 13

**A Special Case**

Halloween had passed, for once in Harry's life, without incident and they were grinding through November when a small piece of the puzzle clicked into place in his head. It might have happened sooner but he had been making a concerted effort to avoid thinking too much about the Dementor case. Having realized it however he could hardly wait to discuss it with Ron at the earliest opportunity. The chance came early that morning as he strode into their office to find his partner paging though the paper, feet propped up on the desk. Ron peeked up for a moment as he entered.

"Morning."

"Morning." Harry quickly switched his coat for the robes, something he would have to stop doing soon as the weather was making riding a motorbike dangerous. "So…I was thinking about the case this morning…" Ron folded down the paper and cocked an eyebrow, a warning appearing in his expression. Harry held up his hands defensively. "Five minutes over breakfast. No more, I swear." The look melted away from Ron's face. Setting the paper aside he gestured for his partner to continue. "Right. Now, assuming the attack at the school was a diversion…" Ron nodded slowly. "Then it makes sense that the target was also a young wizard. It would fit the pattern. But here's the thing…" Finally taking a seat he tossed over a small sheet of paper.

"What's this?" Ron glanced at it to find only the boy's name and a few other notations. None of it seemed particularly important.

"I stopped by the Records Department on the way in this morning. I found a kindly old clerk down there that generously allowed me to search all thirty-eight thousand records by myself. Then, fortunately, I found an even older clerk who happened to have the entire room on file in her head." Ron gestured to move the story along.

"As much as I appreciate your storytelling…"

"Right, right. Anyway, with her help I looked into the boy's family. You know, to see what witches and wizards he has in his background that might account for him being targeted. And I wrote each of the names I found down on that slip of paper." Ron glanced down again, slightly confused.

"But…this page is practically blank." Harry raised a finger to emphasize the point.

"Exactly. He has no magical ancestors that I could find." It took Ron a moment to consider this.

"He's…muggle born?" Harry nodded. "But…if he's muggle born…" Harry gestured for his friend to keep going. "Then…how did the Dementors…or whoever is controlling them…know to target him?" Harry nodded vigorously.

"Precisely! And then I thought…" Ron stared at him for a moment trying to see where Harry was going with this.

"The next question would be…who knew he was a muggle born wizard?" Harry nodded once more as Ron leaned back in his chair considering the revelation. "Huh. Who knew he was a muggle born wizard." After a further moment his head popped up. "Wait a minute. Who _would_ know he was a muggle born wizard?" His eyes cut sharply back to Harry, just fully realizing the implications of the question.

"The enchanted quill at Hogwarts was the only thing I could think of. Do you know of anything else?" Ron pursed his lips in thought, reaching back through his memories to any half forgotten whisper or dismissed rumor. After several moments his head began shaking.

"No Harry. I've never heard of anything like that. I can ask Hermione but I think she would have mentioned something like that. It's just too different for her not to."

"Thanks. But I bet she won't know of anything either. Which leads to the next problem. Someone must have gotten the name off the rolls at Hogwarts. So our next question and a very important one is…"

"Who has access to the quill?"

"Exactly. I'll write McGonagall. Assuming whoever is behind this got the name from the school; she has a serious security leak." Ron nodded and cocked his head in thought as Harry drew out a piece of parchment to pen his short note to the Headmistress. Sending it off a few minutes later he returned to his seat just a tall black man appeared in the doorway, his presence somehow calming. "Morning boss."

"Mr. Potter. Mr. Weasley." Kingsly Shaklebolt's voice was as calm as his demeanor. He bore the title of Head of the Aurors well. There were rumors floating around the building that he was considering a run for Minister when Canton's term was up, but the man himself would kindly deflect such questions in a way that would leave no room for a follow up.

"What can we do for you this morning?" With a smooth motion of his hand, that did nothing to betray the speed and strength he could move with, Kingsley drew a thin file from his robes. He handed it to Ron who took it hesitantly.

"We had a report filed yesterday about potential use of Dark Magic. Normally it would just go in the pile with the rest…but there are certain characteristics of this one that make me hope I could convince you two to handle it personally." Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"Certain 'characteristics'?"

"Yes. There is much more potential danger than usual and this particular person has been suspected several times, always to be later cleared. It requires the highest degree of professionalism. Hence, you two." Harry shrugged.

"Anybody else can be just as professional as us. Maybe more so. So why…"

"Harry." Harry turned to find Ron holding out the file, his eyebrows raised. After a moment he accepted it and glanced at the attached name. His eyes raced back to Kingsley for a hesitant stare before nodding firmly.

"Ah. I see. Just us?"

"Correct. I don't think your trainees would quite be ready to deal with this particular person." Harry could hardly fault him for the assessment. There were some things the new kids just hadn't had time to pick up yet.

"Agreed. We'll deal with it immediately sir."

"Thank you. Good day." With a nod he turned and headed back to his office leaving the pair to stare at the file and sigh. Rising, Harry double checked his robes were straight and slipped the file inside. Ron similarly straightened his robes and set his face as if readying himself for a battle. Wands flashed in short arcs to lock down the office as they glanced at the clock and headed for the door.

Leading the way Harry crossed the main office where the news he and Ron wouldn't be teaching them today was being delivered to a pair of very disappointed trainees. They, and several other people in the room, seemed to sense there was something purposeful, even dangerous about the determination with which the pair walked. Putting it out of his mind Harry waited a moment for the golden grille to slide to the side before stepping in.

Reaching the lobby they took a minute to stop at the security desk. Grabbing one of the ready forms Harry filled in the address of their destination and time before magically sealing it with his thumb. The note would act as a call for help if something should happen. If he didn't return and deactivate it before the designated time had elapsed, it would summon half the Auror Corps to his location as backup. Harry highly doubted it would be necessary but there were standard protocols even he had to follow in certain situations. Handing it back to the security officer to place nearby they continued on. Taking a last breath they both turned in place and disappeared from the Ministry.

Harry glanced around as they appeared on narrow dirt lane barely wide enough for two cars to pass. High hedges ran along either side cutting off any lines of sight except to either side following the road. He hadn't really been worried about being spotted though. Most of the few homes and estates out here belonged either to old magical families or had fallen into the care of the Ministry itself. Harry felt just a little odd this far out in the country. He had lived most of his life in and near London and even Hogwarts was like a tiny city itself. Here the houses were far enough apart you could set off fireworks and not bother anyone.

He glanced once more along the green canyon they had appeared in before his eyes returned to the lone visible opening in the organic wall. A little wider than the road it sunk away from him several paces before reaching a large wrought iron gate easily large enough for the Hogwarts Express to pass through. Two statues, gargoyles, guarded either side of the gate, their empty eyes staring endlessly out into the road. Harry could just get a glimpse of the large house behind them through a tree lined approach a hundred paces long.

Squaring his shoulders and jerking his head Harry started toward the gate. His own footfalls sounded loud on the ancient gravel in the relative silence of the country lane. Coming to a halt a few feet from the massive gates he took a breath and waited. A moment later he turned to the side as the gargoyle on the right creaked to life and turn to face him, its claw raised menacingly. The light grinding of stone sounded as its eyes looked them up and down.

"Who stands before me?" The first time here Harry had been a little surprised at the greeting, such as it was, but that had been many years ago now.

"Aurors Potter and Weasley. We have official Ministry business with your master." The creature stared at them for a moment.

"What business?"

"That is for you master's ears alone." The statue didn't look the least bit rebuffed. It merely froze in place, apparently communicating with someone inside the house. After several moments the claw fell back to its side.

"Proceed. My master will meet you at the door."

"Thank you." As Harry turned back toward the gate the gargoyle returned to its previous position staring out at the road and froze in place, looking once more as if was just a statue. A much smaller part of the gate merely the size of a doorway swung in with a soft creak to allow them entrance. After they had stepped through it closed quietly behind them.

Harry looked over the yard as they took quick strides toward the dwelling. It was huge and perfectly manicure. Arrangements of flowers and small pools of water dotted the landscape, all of it clearly designed ot impress. It was a yard fit for royalty. Though it was nothing compared to the house. Easily a hundred paces to a side and four floors tall it was a massive tribute to Victorian decadence and the owner's wealth. It had started out small and clearly been added on to and expanded as the family's station had risen but, unlike the Burrow which appeared to be an ad hoc design, every addition flowed into the next giving the impression that this had been the original design all along. Perhaps it had been. Many wizarding families had that kind of long distance foresight to plan out something on this scale.

Reaching the wide steps Harry and Ron took them with measured speed and quickly arrived at the covered landing that stood before the entry way. They had to wait only a moment before the sound of locks disengaging on the far side reached their ears. A second later both of the eight foot doors slowly began to swing inward. Daylight rolled in and revealed a thin man in immaculate black robes standing before them.

Platinum blond hair, thinning a bit, waved slightly in the breeze as Draco Malfoy raised his eyes to meet their gaze. His hair was still close cropped and beginning to recede a little from his temples. Though still pale his cheeks had filled out a bit and there seemed to be more to him than there once had. He had also gained a steadiness in his eyes that likely came from years free of the shadow of his father and the man's former master. It had been months since the brief glimpse at the platform and years since he had seen the man up close. Harry took just a moment to look him over. He could sense Draco doing the same to the pair of them.

"Can I help you?" His voice had gained a depth that likely came from being the master of his own home. Harry nodded slowly as he spoke.

"Yes. Mr. Malfoy we're here because of disturbance report filed against you with the Ministry."

"A report?" His eyes cut past them to gaze over the hedges to a hill Harry was sure hid another estate.

"Yes. The person who filed this report says they noticed certain sights and sounds…two nights past coming from this area. They also claim they believe these things indicate the use of the Dark Arts by you or a member of your family." Malfoy's gaze returned and settled on Harry, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I no longer walk that path. You know better than most." Harry nodded sharply.

"Yes I do. Which is why I agreed to check this out personally." Sliding a hand into his robes he withdrew the file he had stashed there earlier. "Now, according to this, the most compelling piece of evidence the witness claims to have seen was a Dark Mark hovering over your house for a few seconds." Malfoy stared at him for a long moment before squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It was McAvoy again, wasn't it?"

"I…I'm afraid I can neither confirm nor…"

"Thought so. That idiot just moved here ten years ago. He wouldn't know a Dark Mark if it was hanging over his house. What he saw were fireworks I created for my daughter's birthday. Would you like to test my wand to be sure?" With a smooth motion the hawthorn wand appeared in his hand and he offered it to Harry. Harry waved it off quickly.

"No. That won't be necessary. Normally such a report wouldn't even warrant a visit but with your history and that of your wife…" Malfoy sighed with an annoyed sort of understanding.

"I'll never escape that will I?" Harry paused just a moment before shaking his head.

"No. But another former Death Eater with a similar report would have warranted an entire strike force of Aurors. So it could be worse." Malfoy could only muster a half hearted nod at that. "However we are still required to do a visual inspection of the house just to make sure nothing obviously dangerous is about." Malfoy stared at them for a long moment and Harry thought he might refuse. Eventually however he stepped aside and gestured for them to enter.

"In that case…" Harry and Ron stepped in as the doors silently closed behind them. The entry way was as grand as the outside of the house would indicate. Two stories tall with large staircases it made Harry feel just a little smaller. It was much larger than his own home, but it also lacked the personal feel that pervaded Grimmauld. This house had a cold feel about it that seemed somehow off. As they glanced around to begin their visual inspection a door past the stairs opened. A young girl with long black hair stuck her head out, clearly trying to see who had arrived.

"Father? What is it?" Malfoy turned back to her.

"Nothing Cassie. Just a misunderstanding I need to sort out." A moment later a woman's head appeared in the doorway, short black hair framing her concerned face. Her eyes traced over Harry and Ron before lighting up with recognition.

"Draco? Is everything all right?"

"Fine. Pansy…take Cassie and go out for a couple hours. The Alley or something." She stared at him for a long moment, a conversation taking place in their eyes. She nodded slowly and set a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Come along. We're going out for a while." The girl obeyed at once and disappeared back through the door. The woman stared at them for a moment longer before also disappearing. As Malfoy turned back he noticed the direction of Harry's gaze.

"Cassiopeia, my youngest. I believe you saw her brother Scorpius on the Express platform?" Harry nodded slowly rolling the new name in his head.

"Yes. When I dropped off James."

"Scorpius has written about James a couple times. Apparently he has as much of a propensity for getting into trouble as his father." Harry kept his face carefully neutral as he responded.

"And James writes me that Scorpius is betraying some of the same noble qualities carried by _his_ father." That seemed to bring Draco up short. Apparently neither of them was completely aware of their sons' actions. Harry waved it off though and returned to business. "Mr. Malfoy we don't really want to take up anymore of your time than we have to. So if we could move on…?"

"Of course." The man seemed somewhat thankful for the change it topic back to something professional. A normal person wouldn't have recognized it on Draco's face but Harry had years of experience with the man to help him see it. He turned and gestured to one of the many doors leading off the entrance. "If you would just head through there…?" With nods Harry and Ron headed in the direction he pointed out.

The house had been thoroughly searched by a team of trained Aurors just after the Second War while Draco had been serving his time in Azkaban. Harry had made sure he was assigned to the search crew to help make sure no unnecessary damage was done. It had taken days away from his time hunting down the remaining Death Eaters but it had been worth it to preserve some of the integrity of Malfoy Manor for its new master. As they began striding through the house giving cursory glances to this and that Harry found his mind drifting back to those closing days of Tom's followers whenever his eyes crossed a memento of those times.

The first year after the Battle of Hogwarts had been shaky for the entire wizarding world. Though Tom was dead and the vast majority of his followers were dead or imprisoned, including much of the internal leadership, some had managed to escape. The Ministry had fought tooth and nail to regain strength and trained Aurors at an incredible rate to bolster its flagging force. They had also heavily recruited for other positions within the institution to replace losses and those that remained in hiding fearing reprisal attacks.

Those fears weren't completely unfounded either as a handful of attacks were carried out resulting in a short list of dead added after the supposed end of the war. After only a couple months of training Harry had formed a strike team at Fudge's request with himself and Ron as the core. Other Aurors and DA members rotated in as they became available or close by to help finish off the Death Eaters for good. Neville and Hermione were the most frequent additions though several of his friends had helped at one time or another. Slowly but surely they had cut down one group after another until the last had finally fallen.

Hogwarts had once again been a beacon during that last year. It had also been a personal source of strength to him while on the hunt in the same way Ginny was. It was soothing to know that somewhere in the country was free of the Death Eaters and always would be. At the end of that school year he had consulted with the Sorting Hat once more before bidding it farewell. The hat always had an interesting insight or two and he heard its song to begin the following year had particularly joyous at finally having the last traces of its mistake wiped out.

Harry brought his attention back to the present for a moment as he passed through the large Malfoy family library. Some of the books had been removed during the inspection though even the Ministry had been reluctant to confiscate anything not too obviously dark. The thousands of books here were lined up perfectly though a small stack sitting on a table indicated they had seen more use recently than before. Harry fought the urge to step over and check out the titles. He was here officially after all, not to snoop.

Malfoy manor seemed even larger inside than it did outside. High ceilings and wide open rooms seemed to stretch forever in some cases, quickly causing a visitor to lose their way. Harry surreptitiously kept his hand out and touched a few things in each room checking for any signet of dark magic. As expected he had yet to find any. Draco had dealt with Ministry inspections before, a lasting legacy of his former allegiance, and so moved preemptively to open closet and side doors. It was also a small move to allow him to maintain some sort of control in his own home.

Harry glanced over and could see just a hint of awe in Ron's eyes at the shear scope of the building. Though he was keeping close watch on the various artifacts and furniture they passed his gaze would flicker to a particularly high ceiling or an ancient piece of sculpture for a moment every few steps. A small part of Harry's mind was wondering if his friend might be collecting ideas for his own dream house. Between Ron and Hermione, a lot of it Hermione, they could easily afford to build whatever sort of home they wanted. That ability though would likely be countered by Ron's growing up in the Burrow and close homey atmosphere there.

Entering another room, empty this time, Harry's eyes went slightly wider as he glanced around the walls. There was a room like this one at Grimmauld, one that would never again change. There they used it as sort of a tribute to his godfather and the other people who had fought Tom Riddle. Here it would continue to change and grow. Across every wall and even the ceiling were small portraits attached to the names of all those who had been part of the Malfoy family tree, each of them connected by intricate silver branches. All of the branches eventually returned to one point in the center of the far wall.

There each of the silver connections merged and attached to top of the portrait of Draco Malfoy. More silver work connected that to Pansy beside him and the ever changing pictures of their children further down. Harry glanced slowly back over the room following a couple of the branches to their beginnings. If he wanted he could likely track more than five hundred years of the family's bloodlines by following the portraits and attached names back through the centuries.

This room shared another feature with that of Grimmauld. Some of the portraits were black as they had been blasted away. Some of these closer to Draco's picture however seemed partially restored as if someone had been trying to bring back the formerly despised family members. Perhaps Draco had changed even more than he had appeared to. Moving quickly through the chamber they continued on through the house making sure nothing dark and dangerous lay about.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions. 


	15. Ch 14: Rivalry

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Sorry this took so long. Life can be problematic. I will do my best to update this regularly and finish the story in a speedy fashion.

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Chapter 14

**Rivalry**

Arriving at the far back of the house they reached one of the largest rooms they had seen yet. Ten paces wide and three times that long the ceiling was at least ten paces high. The most striking feature about the room was that it was practically empty. The floor tiled in squares of alternating black and white granite reminded Harry of a giant chessboard except it was far too large. Though it was for the most part bare the walls were covered with the most interesting assortment of weapons. Glancing around the room seemed to be a march through time progressing from the first spears to hammered swords and axes all the way to black powder rifles and pistols.

Above these and reaching all the way to the ceiling were a series of impressive murals illustrating witches and wizards. Unlike the serene portraits that hung in the marble gallery on the second floor, these were fierce and action filled, showing the subjects in the middle of battle that may or may not have actually occurred. Looking closely at the many faces Harry could just connect them with some of the older portraits in the family tree room he had visited earlier. A fighting history of the Malfoy family danced before him, these murals fully magical and repeatedly performing various attacks.

He sought in vain for any of the weapons hanging under them on the walls in use by the characters in the murals. After several moments he realized they wouldn't be there. The weapons weren't keepsakes of past users; they were trophies taken from defeated foes. His eyes scanned the walls again and this time picked out a dozen wands scattered among the rest of the weapons. The Malfoys hadn't only conquered muggles apparently. Continuing around the room his eyes crossed a large fireplace before rising past the few awards displayed on its mantle to find the room's signature piece.

The large Malfoy family crest was created out of pure silver, the darkest emeralds and pure jet black onyx on a large shield, no doubt goblin wrought. Wands that appeared to be made out of solid silver were crossed over the large silver M. Harry glanced around once more. There could be no doubt about it. This room was built for one purpose. And that was to remind the Malfoys just what a great bunch of witches and wizards they were. Harry could picture the young Draco being led by his father from one mural to the next explaining what a great and noble ancestor this one or the next was and how the boy should strive to be like that.

Ultimately Draco had chosen to walk a different path from his family. One that didn't involve torture and conquest of muggles and other wizards. And it was now on him and his children that the future of the family rested. Harry's eyes came around to the man himself to find Draco facing away from him also looking over the walls. His head paused at each mural for a moment before moving on. After some moments his voice rose, echoing around the cavernous space.

"My father tried to teach me many things in this room. He tried to teach me of the superiority of the magical over the muggle, the witch and wizard over the other magical beings. Even the superiority of the pureblood over those of mixed parentage. He tried to teach me that it was our mission…our destiny to lead the magical world and mold it according to our will. That the Malfoy name was a badge of honor and nobility, something that set us apart and above the rest. A pureblood family hundreds of years old…" Harry glanced at Ron, not entirely sure what to say or do. Ron however could only shrug as Draco continued.

"He tried to teach me what great warriors I was descended from and how powerful they were in a fight. And, like generations before me, my father taught me to duel…in this room." He turned around at this point, his eyes steady and focused on Harry. Harry's muscles reflexively tensed acting on some instinct that was responding to the look in Draco's eyes. There was a focus there, one he had seen on many men and women over the years. The tenseness and concentration before a battle.

"What's it been? Just over twenty years Potter? Twenty years since we first crossed paths in Diagon Alley. Two decades since our paths were set, our courses chosen and never the twain shall meet…except in opposition. Six years at school and on the battlefield we've fought…but never each other. Not once have we truly tested each other's skill and seen what we can do." Harry paused in thought for a moment before responding.

"There was the Dueling Club…second year…" Draco waved his hand dismissively.

"Child's play and barely that. That was no test… It was at most a moment of foolishness at the behest of our teachers. It was not what I speak of." Slowly, so as not to provoke an attack, Malfoy drew his wand from a pocket on the side of his robes. "What do you say Potter? We were rivals throughout our education and yet we never really dueled. I've always wondered just what you could do and what I could manage facing you. Shall we?" Harry was caught short, not quite sure how to respond. He had fought his own battles and won, the need to face Malfoy in some sort of final contest hadn't been prominent in his own mind since school. But the man seemed to wish just that. As if to answer the thought Malfoy spoke.

"I admit there is a small part of me that seeks this for closure…to know once and for all which of us is the better man. Anyone else would likely say you given your battles and your accomplishments…but you still haven't defeated me. I may not be Voldemort, but surely you've always wondered?" Harry was again caught short. He had seen first hand Malfoy's dueling ability and at the time had been fairly sure he was still better. But that had been years ago and despite growing stronger himself, he had no idea what the man was now capable of.

It took several moments but an odd, and old, sensation began to bubble up in the back of his mind. After a pause he recognized it as the desire to best his old rival. It was the desire that had driven them to many of their contests in the past and the will to win had spurred him to victory many times. There was also a touch of interest to test himself. It had been a long time since he had faced anyone of equal skill in a duel outside the practice arena.

For an instant he was transported back to his days in Hogwarts, his mind flashing across the dozens of confrontations he had had with Malfoy over the years. Every time he had wanted to throw a punch and held back, cast a spell and stopped, flooded up from some deep recess of his memories. Each of them begged his to take this shot and fight his hardest. He glanced over to Ron who was glancing between them as if not sure if he should step in. He caught his friend's eye and gave the slightest indication of a smile. Ron caught it and nodded slightly. Harry turned back to Malfoy.

"I have. I have wondered." Standing just a little straighter he slowly drew his wand. "Very well Malfoy. Let this be our final battle. Not with a crowd of observers, no cheering friends or supporters, just us. One on one. If you don't mind Ron as the judge?" Draco's eyes cut to Ron, not dismissively, just taking a quick measure of the man.

"So be it." Ron took a moment to get over his surprise at being named the judge of the contest. He hadn't officiated a duel in years and then only between Auror trainees. Getting rapidly over his shock he nodded and stepped to the midpoint of the room directly between the pair.

"Alright you two. No Unforgivables, stop when I say…and the duel begins when this coin hits the ground. Understand?" He glanced first at Harry and then Draco. When he had received a nod from each he raised his own wand and cast a shield charm that neatly encased the three of them within the room while protecting the structure itself. "Wands at the ready…." Harry saluted with his wand; a move copied by Draco, and raised it to shoulder height. "Then here…we go!" Flipping a golden coin into the air he stepped rapidly back and created a stronger shield around himself.

Harry's eyes followed the coin as it reached the top of its flight…and hung there spinning. Ron had used an Ever-Flipping coin. A glance to Malfoy told him the choice hadn't fazed his adversary. His eyes were locked directly on Harry, the glint of reflected light from the coin showing every split second in his pupils. Harry took a deep breath as he had been taught and fell naturally into his dueling mindset. Rhythmic breaths cleared his mind as spell possibilities hovered off the side waiting to be chosen. He body drew itself into a practiced tightness ready to move in any direction. Malfoy had had fifteen years to practice and Harry had no idea what to expect.

With a final flip the coin again fell under the province of gravity and plummeted to the floor. The ring from its landing hadn't even reached Harry's ears before he was forced to duck a curse. Finding the now moving form of Malfoy he began to launch spells as well. His first several splashed off of shields Malfoy raised and dissipated harmlessly. Those few moments though gave him time to set himself and fall into the familiar give and take of a duel.

There was no cover to be taken advantage of, no terrain to help or hinder. It was merely two men facing each other on skill alone. Malfoy launched a couple spells and then blocked the counterattack. He followed with three spells and more shielding. Every time his guard went down the assault was longer. 'He's testing me,' Harry realized. 'He wants to see how long I can defend.' While this cycle continued Malfoy was slowly advancing and closing the distance between them. Seeking to maintain some distance Harry began to side step in a large circle. Draco continued to close, his spells purposely trying to stop Harry's movement and force him into a closer confrontation.

Harry had no idea why Draco wanted to get closer but it seemed enough reason that he wanted to to justify evading him. He was forced to admit to himself that the man had spent the intervening years well when it came to dueling. He was pulling out moves and spells Harry had only seen on rare occasions or overheard Hermione talking about. His casting was also nearly silent with only a grunt or whisper here and there to indicate the effort he was going to. To counter it Harry was having to come up with ever more inventive responses. Several wisps of smoke that materialized into hawks only just burst into a puff of snow before they clawed his face off. A dozen slithering tendrils of water rose up as cobras and were barely put off by a spinning oak log Harry summoned from elsewhere.

Draco however was countering him as well. His icy blast, intended to slick the floor beneath Malfoy's feet had instead momentarily become a cloud of fog allowing him to approach even closer. What should have been maelstrom strong enough to blow the man across the room merely made his robes billow by the time it reached him. On a couple occasions Harry caught a glimpse of Ron standing within his shield next to the wall, mouth open in astonishment at what he was seeing.

For all the danger inherent in a wizard's duel Harry had to admit this was exhilarating and just a little fun. He hadn't been challenged like this in a long time and the fact it was Malfoy only added to the feeling. Spinning away from a dozen streaks of light that turned into arrows at the last second he could see the same satisfaction on the other man's face as well. He was damn near smiling! Years of rivalry and suppressed urge to battle were coming to the fore in both of them. This was it, the time they had both sought almost since they met, the duel to see once and for all who was the better wizard. Draco had pride of family and his own ego to satisfy while Harry was, and he was slightly ashamed to admit it, mostly driven by a desire merely to beat Malfoy.

Given only a moment to catch his breath after the last assault Harry again had to raise a shield as Malfoy cast yet another odd spell. Drawing back his arm as if cracking a whip the man flipped it forward and released a spread of flames. Instead of just one blast these flames persisted and seemed to wrap around the shield Harry fought to keep up. He could feel the intense heat all around him closing in and burning the very air. Focusing Harry forced the shield to expand and blow the flames away to dissipate.

It didn't gain him even a short respite though as Malfoy had finally managed to close the distance and was now charging in, his wand raised high above his right shoulder. As he approached he cast yet again. This time though, instead of speeding out, the orange light of the spell moved slower and wrapped around the end of his wand before extending in a bar of light away from the tip. This Malfoy swung down across his body to strike Harry full in the chest. With a desperate effort he managed to spin and roll away from the attack. But not before it glanced off his left shoulder. Rising to his feet Harry could only feel a dull throbbing from his shoulder all the way down his arm. The limb hung at his side barely moving and not responding at all to his will to move.

His mind raced as he wheeled away from another attack and slowly pieced together what was going on. Somehow Malfoy had found a way to force a spell to take a solid shape at the end of his wand. Getting a good look at Malfoy he was struck by the way the man was standing. Side on with wand upraised and the beam of the stunning spell before him he paused for a moment to evaluate his target. It was a swordfighter's stance. In accordance with that style Malfoy shuffled forward, the beam…blade of his spell striking like a snake. Harry rapidly summoned a shield to his defense. It slowed, but didn't completely stop the spell blade and surprisingly didn't disperse it. After a couple strikes the shield collapsed forcing Harry to dance away again.

Nearly running to evade this new attack he sought desperately for some way to counter it. Bit by bit he pieced together a desperate idea. It was at best a half designed plan and would likely fail but he had little else to go on. If that stun blade hit his wand arm, or worse his head, it would be over instantly. He had only just started to enact this idea when his left foot slipped on something. The skittering of gold across granite told him he had stepped on the coin Ron had used to start the duel. Half falling, part of his mind fought to regain footing and balance while the other part shoved frantically to defend himself.

Just before the orange stun blade crashed down on his head his wand arm rose. The blade found something new this time. The blue light of an Expelliarmus spell had formed into a blade at the end of Harry's wand. Spinning up from the floor he regained both his footing and a measure of defense. He was so shocked the plan had worked he nearly dropped his wand. More through shear force of will than anything else he had bade the spell to take shape as a blade to defend him. Malfoy was also amazed at the occurrence.

"Interesting. You always were a quick learner Potter." Harry nearly smirked.

"Had to be to keep up with you." It was Malfoy's turn to smirk.

"Quite." With only a moment's rest the assault began again. Harry was pushed firmly into the defensive. It had been a long time since he had wielded anything even vaguely resembling a sword and whoever was instructing Malfoy was very good indeed. He flowed from blow to blow with all the grace and even more speed than Harry once had. His attacks were so fast Harry had to surrender to his training to block where it told him the attack would be rather than where it was. His body was still slow in responding though and the blocks came at the last possible heartbeat. Taking a deep breath in a rare moment of peace he shut down his mind and let his body take over, long unused skills once again rising to the surface.

Slowly his speed increased as he could merely block without having to think about it first. Within a minute he was able to attack once again and the battle was once more a true duel. Malfoy's style was considerably different from the one Harry had learned. It relied far more on quick thrusts and stabbing motions instead of the slashing arcs Harry used. It had the advantage of blinding speed that forced Harry into hurried blocks but on the other hand had no response to the heavy blows Harry let loose and often forced Malfoy to fall back.

They danced around the room for some moments, blades flashing in luminescent arcs, before meeting at last in the center. A massive downward strike from Harry met Malfoy's block as they pushed against each other with all their might trying to throw the other man down. Without warning both blades shattered with a minor explosion into a thousand points of light that faded quickly out. This caused both men to stumble forward and past each other as their opposition suddenly vanished.

Harry regained his balance and spun a split second, the Expelliarmus already on his lips. The blue light winged Malfoy on his wand arm though it still tore the weapon free and shook his frame. Harry's eye's instinctively rose with his hand to catch it. Looking back down he had only a heartbeat to brace himself before Draco's shoulder caught him full in the stomach and bowled him over. As they fell, the other man snatched his wand from mid air where it should have met Harry's hand and tried to bring it around. Using his legs Harry propelled the other man over him to fly further on. The impact of his hand on the floor however jarred his own wand loose and he felt it roll away.

He had the satisfaction though of hearing Malfoy's body crash to the floor and skid some feet, a matching tapping of his wand falling loose following. Allowing himself only a moment of shock to recover he rolled onto his stomach and began pushing himself up with his good arm. His eyes quickly found the wands lying on the floor; Malfoy's lying across his own. The man himself was also rising and both reached out summoning their weapons as they reached their feet and nearly dove forward.

During the critical second the wands took deciding who was calling each the men closed the distance and threw punched with their off arms. Though still sore Harry's was good enough to fight back. He blocked a punch and threw one of his own that was also blocked before feeling the familiar grip of his wand slap back into his hand. He tried to catch Malfoy's arm, a move the other man mimicked, and they were quickly locked together as his wand arm cleared his body and rose for the finishing stroke.

He never got the chance. "Hold!" Ron's voice stopped them cold. He had ended the duel. Though even if he hadn't it would have ended anyway. Harry's wand tip pressed in at the side of Malfoy's throat…but he could feel the other wand tip resting under his chin. The pair stared at each other just over a foot apart for a long minute. Both were drained and breathing hard, sweat drenched each face. Harry was the first to find breath to speak.

"Draw?" Malfoy nodded silent accent. A moment later they disengaged and stepped back. Harry stumbled a little, more exhausted than he had been in a very long time. But he was also exhilarated. No one had been able to match his dueling skills for years and he hadn't needed to push himself so hard in far too long. He could feel the adrenaline charging through his body. In truth it was likely the only thing keeping him upright at the moment. After the rapid self assessment he glanced up to his challenger.

Malfoy was also drained and visibly slouching. More out of pride than ability he straightened up and slowly slid his wand back into his robes. Then he did the most unexpected thing imaginable.

"Thank you." Harry could only nod dumbly, surprised at the words. After a few moments of restraining his breathing he murmured a response.

"Any time." Harry sheathed his own wand before drawing himself straight. A waved hand drew off most of his sweat and helped calm his body. Malfoy stepped back further and surreptitiously leaned against the mantle to support himself. Harry glanced over to Ron, who was still staring, eyes wide with shock. Apparently he hadn't been expecting a mere draw either.

"Will there be anything else? Or are you satisfied I'm not again practicing the Dark Arts?" The eyes of both swiveled back around to the man as Harry slowly shook his head.

"No Mr. Malfoy. I'm satisfied. There's no evidence of Dark Arts here." Malfoy's pointed his chin toward what Harry was sure must be the front of the house.

"Then why don't you stop by and tell McAvoy?" Ron stepped closer to Harry and half nodded before remembering that he could neither confirm nor deny that McAvoy had filed the complaint.

"We will inform the complaining of party of our findings Mr. Malfoy." The man twitched his head in an almost nod as if he knew it wouldn't do any good anyway. "Now that we're finished here, perhaps you could show us to the door."

"Of course. This way." Malfoy led the way back through the house. Harry noticed Ron staying close at his side to help should he need it. Another day Harry would have been annoyed at the act but he felt just drained enough that it might be necessary.

Reaching the front door Malfoy held it open for them. Harry was halfway through when he paused and turned back, something having caught his memory. Malfoy raised an eyebrow in question, or perhaps annoyance, at the move.

"Yes?" Harry took a moment to collect his thoughts before responding.

"Draco…you read the Prophet, right?"

"Of course."

"Then you know about the Dementor attacks?" He nodded. "Well…there's a small possibility something else is out there working with them…and if there is it's hunting magical people. Just…keep an eye out." Malfoy stared at him for a long moment as if not sure what to make of the warning. Finally he nodded once slowly.

"I shall."

"Good. Farewell." With a nod for response the man closed the door behind them and disappeared. With Ron at his side Harry made his way back up the long drive.

"Do you think it was a good idea Harry? Telling him that?"

"Yes. Even if it's nothing, he hears things we don't. Might give us a lead."

"True…" Ron bobbed his head in response as he followed along.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	16. Ch 15: The Best

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

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Chapter 15

**The Best**

Harry stared intently at the flames before his eyes. As the fire licked back and forth he both watched it and the eternity behind it. He had seen many fires in his life. Some were warming and inviting. Others terrible and destructive. He had seen them help, hinder, save and kill. It was odd to think the same piece of the world, varied only in size could do so many different things.

The one before him now was safely contained in the masonry and warding of his home. Rising slowly, reluctant to move, he gripped a nearby log from its place in the basket and carefully set it on the burning pile. Grabbing the nearby wrought iron poker he began slowly adjusting the already burning firewood. It wasn't the deep freeze of a Hogwarts winter, and it never would be this far south, but there was enough of a chill to warrant the blaze. After replacing the tool in its stand he returned to his spot semi-curled at the end of the couch.

Some time later, perhaps a minute, perhaps and hour, he felt someone settle onto the other end. He could tell it was Ginny, feel her presence nearby. It was some time later she spoke.

"The kids are asleep." It took a moment for Harry to respond.

"Good." The flames danced back and forth in his glasses.

"How's work been going?" Again it took him a moment.

"Fine."

"That's…good. And Ron?"

"Fine."

She nodded to herself quickly. Leaning over she touched him lightly on the shoulder. "Harry? What's wrong?" He began to say 'nothing'. She could see the word forming on his lips and responded with a heavier touch. "Don't. There's been something eating at you for two days. What's going on?" After several moments he took a deep breath.

"Ron and I…were sent to investigate allegations of dark magic use by a former Death Eater." He turned to face her. "It was Malfoy." She nodded slowly at the information.

"You've done that before. So…?"

"While we were there he challenged me to a duel. I, being me, accepted."

"And you beat him easily. So…?"

"That's just it. I didn't. He's apparently been training quite a bit. He used things I've never seen before and he's also picked up some skills in physical fighting." Her eyes widened at that.

"You…lost?" Surprise was evident in her tone. Some part of Harry got a little boost at her perception of his dueling skills but at that very moment it was far from the forefront of his mind. He shook his head.

"No. I drew. Barely." She nodded again and thought for several moments.

"And…that's what's eating at you? That you drew? Harry…he must have been preparing for this for a months if not years. He was decent in school even before the hellish training under Snape. It's not surprising he's gotten even better."

"I know. And some part of me logically knows that." He turned back to consider the fire. "But… For better or worse…some part of me has always been defined by my skill in a magical duel. First because of my connection to Tom Riddle and later because of my work. It was always an unconscious thing, measuring myself against opponents and always finding them wanting." Swinging his feet forward he leaned closer to the fire, plumbing its depths for some meaning. "Do you…do you remember seventh year? My seventh year? And the couple years after it?" She nodded lightly while sliding over to sit next to him.

"Of course. Hard to forget after all. Why?"

"Did you know that in all the fighting I participated in, all that time…I never lost a one-on-one duel? Not once. When I lost I was either horribly outnumbered or being attacked by other things." She shrugged, brushing her shoulder against his.

"I didn't really think about it. I just assumed you'd be okay. And you always were. More or less. You think something has changed?"

"I… My mind keeps telling me I should have beaten Draco. I think… I think I've gotten worse as a duelist." He could feel her shrug.

"Is that really surprising? Look at who you've had to fight in the last decade. There's no Death Eaters anymore, no well organized group of dark wizards hunting your head, no Merlin forsaken Voldemort driving you on. Without that…what do you have to fight at that level?" He glanced over before nodding in slow acceptance. "And even if you have lost some of your ability…is that so bad? That's why you have friends after all. To help you." He managed a week smile.

"I know. But still… What if…it comes down to a duel one day and the part I've lost is the part I need to win?" He stared intently at the fire. "I'm an Auror. Protecting people is my job. What if the time comes when I can't do that?" He could feel he arm wrap lightly around his shoulders.

"Then someone else will. It's not all always on your shoulders. Not anymore." Leaning back he pulled her close, letting his head fall to her shoulder. Harry let out a long breath and with it released some of the tension that had been pulling at his mind.

"Thanks. Every now and then I need the reminder."

"Of course. Now…" She slowly disengaged and rose to her feet. "I think it's time for bed." She held out her hand to help him up.

"I'll be up in a bit. I'm not tired just yet." A grin crept across her features.

"I didn't say 'sleep'." His eyes widened slightly.

"Oh."

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It was a crisp, clear morning that Harry strode through as he made his way along Diagon Alley. Shops were just beginning to open as he glanced from window to window. A few of the people out early nodded as they passed. He wasn't sure why he'd chosen the long way around for this visit. Perhaps it gave him time to focus or muster up some courage. The Leaky Cauldron rose high before him as he passed through the enchanted arch that normally framed one end of the Alley. Glancing up his eyes instinctively raked along the windows looking for threats.

Pushing open the back door he slid quietly inside the magical pub. It took only a moment for his training to scan the room and find Tom the bartender sitting at an empty table perusing the latest edition of the Prophet. Harry approached and dropped into the seat across from him. Folding the paper down and then together his eyes perked up.

"Good morning Mr. Potter. What can I do for you?" Harry jerked his head toward the upstairs guest rooms.

"I'm looking for someone. Alex Keystone. He said he was here along with a muggle associate. I need to speak with him." Tom nodded and looked thoughtful for several moments.

"Keystone…Keystone… Ah, yes. He checked out a couple weeks ago. Only been back once to check his post." Harry could only blink a couple times in response.

"He's…gone?"

"That's right." The man paused for a moment. "Hold on…" He began checking through the many pockets on his clothes. "Uh… Here we go." He produced a small piece of parchment and handed it over. "I was supposed to give you that if you came 'round looking for him." Harry took the paper and glanced at it. An address in another part of London was written in a precise script that he could instantly identify as belonging to Keystone.

"This is where he went?"

"That's right. Don't know why he'd want to leave the Cauldron but…"

"Me neither. Thanks Tom."

"No problem." As Harry rose the man returned to his paper and continued wherever he had left off. Stuffing the slip into a pocket Harry turned for the back door. It was strange Keystone hadn't told him about their change in accommodations. What if an owl had been sent and couldn't find him? By the time he reached the Alley once more he had come to a decision. Turning on the spot he reappeared a moment later in the Ministry's grand entryway.

Being Saturday the place was rather deserted. On weekends they tended to operate a very light staff in all but a few key areas. Nodding to the receptionist he headed over to the security desk where a witch was idly flipping through a stack of papers. She glanced up as he approached and quickly came to attention, obviously surprised that he would be in on a weekend. "Good…good morning Mr. Potter."

"Morning."

"Is there something I can do for you?" Her eyes kept flicking this way and that, apparently nervous.

"Yes. Can you call the Transportation Department and let them know I need a car and driver in a few minutes?" She nodded readily.

"I'll do it right away."

"Thank you." She immediately leapt to action, apparently more comfortable with something to do in his presence. Turning, he headed for the familiar elevators and was soon ascending to the second floor. Only two junior Aurors were visible as he walked through the office and they were throwing a small ball back and forth. When they noticed him they immediately stopped and began explaining their actions. He waved them off having neither the desire nor the need to reprimand them for what he had so often done. Reaching his office he slipped quietly inside and removed his wizard robes. Hiding his wand and a couple other things in his clothing he glanced over the office to make sure everything was in place and turned to head out.

Arriving back at the entryway he found a young witch in a muggle driver's outfit waiting for him. With a nod for greeting he handed over the scrap of paper. "Good morning. Do you know this address?" Her eyes got a far away look for a moment before she too nodded.

"Yes, sir. It's a hotel. A large muggle one. Very upscale." Harry considered the information for a moment before nodding.

"Good. That's our destination. Shall we?" Following his lead they ascended back up to street level where a ministry car was waiting for them, engine running. Harry slid into the back seat, for a change not one that was enhanced to hold ten, and watched the scenery as it sailed by. The city had started to wake and the number of people on the streets grew as they traveled. Little by little the passing landscape became ever slightly more refined and posh.

"Sir…may I ask the purpose of this trip?" Harry took a moment to realize he was being spoken to.

"Just…" He faltered for a moment, not even entirely sure himself why he was here. "Just visiting an old friend."

"Ah." The driver sensed he wasn't feeling talkative and left it at that. The car slowed to a stop a few minutes later and Harry glanced up…and up to the top of the impressively large building they had arrived at. A valet opened the door and he stepped out, tripping slightly as he misjudged the curb. "Would you like me to wait?" Harry turned back and shook his head.

"No. If I need a ride back I'll call."

"Very well." Waiting only for the door to be closed she accelerated away and back into traffic. Steadying himself Harry strode forward and through the automatic doors leading into the main lobby. Though pristine and well designed it gave him the slightest sense of unease. It was perhaps evoking some half forgotten feeling of how his aunt's house had been kept. Pushing it down, he fixed himself on the concierge desk and approached the attendant.

"Good morning sir. How can I help you?"

"I'm looking for a friend of mine. Alex Keystone. I was told he was checked in here." The man nodded.

"Very well. Let me check." Harry could hear the light clacking of keys as the man punched several things on a computer keyboard, the screen obviously hidden beneath the service ledge. The man looked about to say something, paused and cocked his head to the side. "Just a moment sir." Stepping back he picked up a telephone and pressed several keys. Harry couldn't quite make out the brief conversation and decided against risking a hearing charm. Eventually the man returned the phone and turned back. "Yes sir. He's it room 1602. Top floor. Just take the elevators over there and turn left."

"Thank you." As he turned Harry just caught the man's concerned glance out of the corner of his eye. Something had him on edge. Approaching the elevator bank he stepped into a car just vacated by a couple obviously checking out. Though he rode the elevator multiple times every day at work this still seemed odd. Again it was too clean and precise. When he arrived at the sixteenth floor there was no voice telling him what floor it was and what could be found there. It was strange the things you didn't realize you missed until they weren't there.

Stepping into the hallway he turned left. Passing only a couple doors on the relatively long walk he reached 1602. Hesitating for only a moment he raised his hand and rapped his knuckled against the wood several times. Stepping back, he waited. Instinctively his head moved slightly as he glanced left and right down the hall, years of training keeping him alert. He could hear the light footsteps seconds before the door opened slightly, brass chain still spanning the gap. Above it half a face and half a pair of sunglasses peered out.

"Harry?" The door shut for a moment, the chain was removed and it opened fully to reveal Keystone in his trademark shirt and slacks, wand just hidden behind his arm. "What can I do for you?" Harry hesitated once again before speaking.

"I…was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk." The man seemed surprised by the request but nonetheless nodded and stepped aside, waving Harry into the room. As he entered Harry took a quick glance around. The room was much large than an average hotel accommodation and looked almost like an apartment. He could see traces that they had been living here for a while. "Nice."

After locking the door Keystone passed him and shrugged. "It works. I'd be just as happy with a bed and a desk." Sliding the wand into a pocket cleverly concealed in his pant leg the man continued forward and waved Harry to follow. "I take it you got my note from Tom?" As he glanced backward Harry nodded.

"Yeah. I was surprised to find out you had left. What brought you here?"

"Katherine. Come. Sit." Passing through the large main sitting room Harry followed him across the threshold and out onto the balcony. As Keystone leaned back on one the chairs and stared out across the cityscape Harry took a seat nearby.

"Katherine?"

"Yeah. The magical world was getting to her. I think she was genuinely becoming freaked out. She spent less and less time in the Alley or even the Cauldron. When I suggested moving to a muggle hotel she leapt at the idea. Can't say I blame her. This must be terribly disconcerting to suddenly be dropped in." He paused for a moment and the slightest hint of a grin formed in his lips. "We almost got stuck in the honeymoon suite down the hall. That sent her for a loop. Luckily someone canceled their reservation just before we were going to look elsewhere." When he paused again Harry nodded, not quite sure if this conversation was going anywhere. With sharp suddenness the man's features smoothed out and he turned. "So…what did you need to talk about?" Bouncing starting points back and forth for a moment Harry spoke.

"Well…it all started a few days back…" He related the duel with Malfoy, the concerns that had cropped up from it and parts of the conversation with Ginny. Having laid it all out it sounded a little foolish and more than a little egotistical even to his own ears. Instead of any rebuke however Keystone simply nodded as each thought and waited. "And so…I was wondering if you had any thoughts…on the matter." Keystone nodded once and then fell quiet. Harry could almost see the mental blinks as the man considered what he had been told.

"So…if I have this right… You're afraid that you gotten rusty as a duelist and might no longer be good enough to protect people from every threat that might crop up?" That made it sound even more than egotistical. Harry could only shrug dumbly at the summary. Keystone shook his head. "I knew you had a hero complex but _good_ _god_. There is a reason there is more than one person in the Auror department. And besides…who are you going to have to fight that's that good anyhow?" Harry was brought up short for several moments before coming up with an answer.

"Whoever is responsible for the fake Dementor attacks across the country." It took Keystone a moment to nod sharply.

"Good answer. Speaking of which, or is it witch, has there been any news on that front?" Harry slowly shook his head.

"No. Everyone is on the lookout but all the eyes in the world can't see what's not there. Ron, Hermione and I have been trying to piece together the parts every which way but it doesn't add up to anymore now than it did before. Anything on your end?"

"Unfortunately no." He paused for a moment before continuing. "You know…I never thought I'd say this…but I kind of miss teaching."

"Really?"

"Yes. Not so much for the teaching aspect, thought that was quite enjoyable at times, but because it kept me busy, gave me something to do between the epic battles that were that year. Here it's just waiting for something to happen. Even Katherine has been working part time for the FBI London office to keep busy. It's driving me just a little stir crazy."

"I would imagine. Have you considered the Ministry? I'm sure they could find some use for you."

"And have to deal with a dozen Department of Mystery employees a day trying to get my sword? I don't think so." Harry chuckled a little at that. They sat in silences for a couple of minutes and Harry rose to lean on the balcony railing and look down at the road below.

"When we find out who's behind all this…what if we have to fight? You ready for that?" The man half chuckled in response.

"I'm always ready for that. You know that's the one thing I do better than anyone else. Are you? Ready to fight and perhaps kill again?" Harry shrugged from his place at the railing.

"I don't know. If Malfoy's any indication then probably not."

"Better call Ron and get some practice in." Harry shook his head.

"Nope. Won't help. I always beat Ron…and it's not the same."

"How so?" The man rose slowly and approached the railing.

"He doesn't fight all out. I'm not fighting for my life against him and we both know it." After a moment he added, "and how long do you plan on asking leading questions you already know the answers to?" Not missing a beat Keystone replied.

"As long as you keep dancing around what you want to ask and trying to make me say it. You've known why you were coming here since the moment you couldn't defeat Malfoy. You can find better council amongst you friends and better encouragement with your family. But you came to me. And you did it for the same reason you came to me in seventh year. Because of the one thing I have that they don't, the one thing I'm good at…the one thing I'm the best at. Stop dancing around and just ask already." Harry was surprised at the outburst and for a fleeting moment had a flashback of the man as his professor and teacher in school.

"Fine. Will you help me get as good as I once was?" After a moment Keystone shook his head.

"No. I'll make you better. Follow me." Surprised at the man's sudden reply Harry stumbled before following. Reaching the center of the sitting room Keystone turned and held out his hand. "Hold tight." A split second after grabbing hold Harry could feel the squeezing that told him he was being apparated away.

With a jolt he felt hard stone beneath his feet. Steadying himself as he released Keystone's hand he looked around in awe. If there was an exact definition of a place 'man should not be' this was probably it. They were standing in the middle of a spike of rock not more than thirty feet in diameter. Varied and uneven the rock split in several places forming small chasms just big enough to ensnare a foot. This forsaken place was surrounded by the pounding waves of an unknown sea and the sky was covered in the clouds of a storm front. Waves broke on the stone and washed over it in places before continuing on to the coast line Harry could just make out some miles away.

"Where are we?" Keystone shrugged for response.

"Does it matter? You wanted training. Here we are."

"Here? But this is a rock in the middle of a stormy sea! We could get wiped out by a swell at any moment!"

"Better hope you've got a shield charm handy then. I've trained here now and again, working on the same thing I brought you to practice. The one thing you've lacked all these years and yet not needed enough to learn."

"And what is that?"

"Focus."

"I can focus. I have to. You can't play Seeker if you can't focus. Or fight. Or be an investigator for the Ministry."

"Not what I'm talking about Potter. You have that focus. To follow a snitch, hold a sword or solve a crime. Good but not exceptional. What I'm talking about is the absolute focus that comes from seeing the whole picture around you, where you fit into it and how best to move to accomplish your goals. That kind is fleeting. You felt it before. During certain battles, certain times on the Quiddich field and in you friend Ron's eyes when he plays his best game of chess. You've used it unconsciously. Now you need to learn how to find it and hold it when you need it." Keystone stepped backward across the uneven terrain, worn smooth by the constant assault of water. "Waves do indeed swell over this rock. Winds buffet it and the occasional shark visits it. You know how to fight; you know how to fight against someone else. Now it's time for you to learn how to do it when even the terrain is trying to kill you."

Harry looked around, unsure of how to proceed in this new environment. Tentatively taking a step back he began to slip and fell to one knee before managing to catch himself. Keystone merely watched.

"Are you ready then? Or should we head back to the hotel?" Finding a grip and a balance on the slippery rock Harry rose to his feet and drew his wand. As he did a knowing smile appeared on the other man's face. "You never disappoint Potter. Shall we?" The man drew his own wand.

"Bring it on."

* * *

Harry let out a grunt as he hit the slick stone for what felt like the hundredth time. Rolling to the side he dodged a series of stunning spells before raising a shield and regaining his feet. His counter strike was precise but slow. He was getting worn down. Keystone on the other hand hadn't let up the assault and was stalking him around the small piece of rock giving him no chance to rest.

Nearing fatigue Harry felt something in his mind give way. And then he could sense his next move. As a wave he instinctively knew was coming rose to the side he formed his shield charm in a specific way. He could see the water breaking around Keystone's and flow to the side. Forming his shield just right Harry angled the water back down and around, slipping through an opening in Keystone's charm. With a blast of force he threw it at the other man. Caught off guard Keystone tried to block, failed and lost his footing. In a swirl of white and foam he was swept off the edge.

It took Harry several seconds to realize what had just happened. Rushing forward his feet automatically found purchase as he reached the edge of the rock. He searched the area madly for moments until a rising blast of water and the yell of 'Accendio' pushed him back. Turning he found Keystone flipping over and landing heavily in the center of the area. Instead of anger he heard a laugh that only served to confuse him further as the drenched fighter turned around.

"Very good Potter. You felt it, didn't you? Just for a moment that absolute focus. You knew the wave was coming, knew what could be done, did it. Excellent." Harry took several seconds process what had happened.

"I…I…what happened?"

"You focused. You let go of everything else and saw this for one perfect moment. And you won." Before Harry could say anymore the professor dried himself as much as he could and put his wand away. "And that's it for today. We'll try it again in a week or so."

"But…"

"It's late. We both should be getting back. Thank you Potter. That was the most fun I've had in quite a while. Next week?" Harry could only nod dumbly. "Until then." With a turn the man disappeared leaving Harry alone in the ocean with his head spinning.

How had he done that? Where had that focus come from? And most importantly…at what point had he mentally let himself become the seventeen year old student again? Shaking his head he decided they were all excellent questions to ruminate on…at home. A moment later a wave crashed down and struck the barren rock where he had just been standing.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	17. Ch 16: Muggle's Day Out

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): Because every story's better with banter. It's a shorter chapter...but I quite like it.

* * *

Chapter 16

**Muggle's Day Out**

"What the heck happened to you?" Arriving back in his own home, tired and mostly dry, Harry was caught short by the question Ginny asked as she descended the stairs. He realized that even with the ocean water gone the multiple falls and prolonged sparring match must have left considerable wear and tear on his cloths. A pang in his knee told him his clothes weren't all that was feeling beaten. "Well?" She was now standing in front of him, her eyes demanding some sort of explanation. Harry could only scratch his head for a moment while trying to come up with something that didn't sound completely crazy.

"I… I sort of…asked Alex Keystone to help get me back up to my old skill level in a wizard's duel. You know I was a little…okay, a lot surprised after my match with Draco." She nodded and motioned for him to continue. "And he was the only one I could think of that might be able to help. The man did teach me how to fight after all." She blinked several times before responding.

"Uh-huh. And to help he repeatedly pushed you down a flight of stone stairs while dumping," she sniffed the air, "most of the Atlantic on you?"

"Actually…it involved a sparring match on a small spit of rock jutting out of what looked like the North Sea." His wife continued to just stare at him and occasionally blink as if not quite sure those words had come out of his mouth. With no other recourse he did his best to pull off a sheepish grin. If this had any immediate effect it wasn't apparent.

"I'm very disappointed Harry." He felt himself swallow hard at that. He had faced incredible things and dealt with creatures that were men's nightmares made manifest but the thought he might have disappointed Ginny cut right to his heart. "Once again you go to an exotic place for crazy fun adventures and you don't even think to include me. Do you have any idea how annoying that is? Instead here I am all alone pining away for the man of my dreams to show up and ask me out on a lunch date tomorrow." Placing the back of her hand melodramatically against her forehead she began to turn back to the stairs.

"Wait, what?" She continued as if she hadn't heard him.

"And after all the trouble I went to getting my mother to look after the children for the weekend. Why, it must have taken me five minutes. And then," she rounded on him with and excellent mock up of anger on her face, "you don't even have the decency to show up and keep me company. Instead you go off and find one of your old school pals to spend the afternoon with. How do you think that makes me feel?" Mock indignation of not, Ginny was doing a wonderful job of committing to the roll. Ginny had done something like this several times in the past and partly because of it they had gone on more 'dates' since they had been married than before. That wasn't saying a lot however since their courtship had typically consisted of 'moments between one of them almost getting killed.'

Harry desperately wanted to come up with a response for her and cast about quickly though his mind. He found one line that was incredibly cheesy but if he played it just right he could make it work. Stepping forward he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into an embrace. Gazing down into her eyes he spoke. "Wonderful." She looked less than convinced. "Because no matter who I was with or what I was doing, I stopped to come home to you." And then he kissed her because anything else would have given her time to call him on the terrible line.

When he pulled back several moments later he found her features had melted into a contented smile that always tugged at his heartstrings. As her eyes slowly opened he felt the greatest urge to try and freeze time so he could stay like that, watching her perfect face, forever. Instead he pulled together several of the things she had said. "The kids are gone for the weekend?"

"That's right."

"Well then, Mrs. Potter, would you like to accompany me out to lunch at a small place I know in town?" She smiled again and he warmed a little inside.

"I would love to, Mr. Potter."

* * *

Every once in a while, and indeed it seemed in Harry's life more often that that, mother nature chooses to conspire not to rain on a wedding or pepper a golf tournament with lightning but to offer a truly wonderful reprieve from the season. The afternoon that found Harry and Ginny sitting across from each other in the sidewalk seating of an Italian bistro was just such a day. For some inexplicable reason what had been a usual bleary winter suddenly gave way to a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon. Not knowing how long it might last nearly the entire city had leapt to take advantage of it.

Dressed in their muggle attire the pair blended right in to the ebb and flow of humanity out enjoying the strange fluke of weather. Having apparated nearby in the mid-morning the couple had spent several hours browsing the shops in the neighborhood before settling on the restaurant in which to have lunch. Everyone they passed seemed to have a little extra spring in their step as the day rolled on.

Harry carefully used a piece of bread to mop up what was left of a rich cream sauce that had covered his pasta. Glancing across the table he found Ginny's eyes watching his every move. An already empty plate sat before her. He had been surprised at how quickly she had torn through the salad and - was it seven now? - breadsticks the waiter had brought. Watching her he swirled the piece to collect the last of the sauce. Her eyes were glued to his hand as it rose. Halfway to his mouth he stopped and handed it over. "Here." She looked up to him, apparently surprised at his action.

"What?"

"Well, either you're still hungry or there's a knobblewort growing on the back of my hand. And since knobbleworts only exist in the pages of the Quibbler…" The knobblewort was a strange thing that Luna had concocted in an article a year back which she described as 'an ugly bulbous growth on the skin invisible to the afflicted but readily apparent to anyone else.' There had been a rash of supposed sightings at Hogwarts in the following weeks and it had turned into something of a school wide joke by the middle of the year. The fact that Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had come out with a product that accurately recreated the affliction didn't help matters, though the twins had sent Luna a cut of the profits for such an excellent idea.

"You don't know that. It may just be that you've never seen one."

"I've never seen your twin sister either but that doesn't mean she exists." That caused Ginny to cock an eyebrow.

"Oh? And how much time do you spend thinking about this supposedly nonexistent sibling of mine? What exactly goes on in your twisted little mind that requires there to be two of me?" She leaned a little closer. "And of course the big question," She leaned in closer still, now halfway across the table, "How would you know if I was twins?" Harry leaned it to meet her eyes.

"Well…that's simple." She tilted her head awaiting the answer. "You've got that cute little birthmark right next to your left-"

"Okay! You win. I give up." As she leaned back he felt her snatch the bread from his hand. Settling back into his seat a grin crossed his face.

"You know, traditionally it's 'to the victor go the spoils.'" She spoke around bites of his bread.

"You didn't win. I gave up." Harry's mouth worked soundlessly for some moments trying to wrap his head around that.

"I…you…but… Wait, what?"

"Look," she licked the last bit of sauce off her finger, "do you really want it back?"

"No…you can keep it." Her eyes cast around the table and lit up on finding half a breadstick hiding under a napkin. "So…are you planning to eat everything in the restaurant? Should I have them pack up a take home crate?" Here eyes cut back to him with a withering look.

"Window shopping for that long is hungry work. You'd rather I wasted away until I was all skin and bones?"

"Of course not. But gorging yourself isn't healthy either. Are you sure you're not hording food for your twin?" Ginny rolled her eyes and chuckled slightly.

"No, of course not. I have Dobby feed her the table scraps after dinner. It's all that will fit through the cage bars. I am however eating for two." Harry pondered that for a second.

"Oh, that's what you ordered the cage for. I thought it was for…for…" 'Eating for two.' Wait a second… Harry had fallen so completely into their banter it took several moments for that to sink in. Looking directly into her eyes he could see it. He knew. "You're…" She settled back contentedly in her chair and smiled at him.

"Uh-huh."

"You're sure?"

"Of course." A wide, goofy grin slowly plastered itself across his face. He nearly floated up from his chair and around the table. Pulling her up into his arms he kissed her as deeply as he felt she would tolerate in public. He pulled back a little and watched her.

"Potter number five in on the way." She nodded a little. "Are you okay?"

"Wonderful. You?"

"Never better." He waited several moments before continuing. "So…shall we go or would you like to eat a few more salads?" She could only shake her head in response. Reaching into his pocket Harry pulled out a few bills and pinned them under his plate. After leaving a tip that would likely cover much of their waiter's rent that month he followed his wife back onto the street.

A walk of only a few blocks brought them to a park surrounded by a waist high wrought iron fence that looked nearly as old as Grimmauld. Finding an entrance they began to lazily follow the circular walk that ran around a small pond at the center. Harry lightly held his wife's hand as they mingled with the muggle population out to enjoy the day. Coming around a turn he could feel Ginny perk up. Her free hand shot out ahead of them.

"Look, ice cream!" Harry's response was a quizzical expression.

"We just ate about five minutes ago. Are you really hungry al-"

"LOOK OUT!" The shout pulled his eyes to the side where they perceived something small, hard and white moving very fast directly at his head. Before he could think his Seeker reflexes had kicked in and his hand came up in a blur. A split second later it stopped with a thud against the back of Ginny's hand. She had been just a little quicker at intercepting the ball before it crashed into him. Lowering his hand he glanced over to her.

"Nice catch."

"Practice. Here you go!" The last was directed to a large man jogging up to them with a ball glove on his left hand.

"Thanks. Verne's got a good arm, but his aim is a little off." Harry looked him over more out of habit than anything. He was built like a weight lifter but moved with speed and precision that didn't quite fit his size. He was also bouncing very slightly from side to side as he came to a stop in front of them. There was something familiar about the man that Harry couldn't quite place. A feeling from long ago… It might be… Harry froze as their eyes met. The other man also froze in the middle of reaching for the ball. Both sets of eyes began widening in a strange mirror of each other.

While Harry was still immobile a woman came up to the man's side. She had long brown hair, a slim build and a muscle tone that indicated plenty of physical activity. A similar glove was covering her left hand. Seeing both of them frozen she slowly looked around into the man's eyes. "Dudley? Dudley, what is it?" Harry could hear Ginny's voice at his side, also with a tone of concern.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Several more moments passed before both men spoke at the same time.

"It's you." Slowly they managed to move once more, eyes never breaking contact as if still not believing this was happening. Ginny's voice once again came from his side and was mirrored by the other woman's.

"It's who?"

"My cousin Harry."

"My cousin Dudley." No one seemed quite sure what to say until a boy of perhaps eight appeared at Dudley's side also sporting a glove.

"Dad? What is it?" Four sets of eyes swung down to the child who momentarily stepped back.

"This…this is my cousin Harry. I told you about him a couple of times. About how he saved my life back during my school days." The child and his mother both turned to stare at Harry, seemingly not quite sure what to make of this. Harry's mouth moved soundlessly, not quite sure how to respond. Dudley, of all people, saved him the trouble. "Harry…it's good to see you. This is my son Verne and my wife Sarah. Sarah, Verne…my cousin Harry Potter." Sarah held out her hand.

"It's nice to finally meet you." Harry shook it and then Verne's.

"Uh…thanks." With only a light elbow in the back he gestured to his wife. "And please allow me to present my wife, Ginny Potter." After exchanging greetings with all three silence once again descended until Sarah spoke.

"Well…why don't we give these two some time to catch up? Come along Verne." The boy hesitated until Dudley looked down to him.

"Go with your mother. I'll be along in a little while." Accepting this, the child turned and slowly followed Sarah away.

"And I'll be over there." Harry didn't need to look to know Ginny was pointing at the ice cream stand. He nodded a moment later.

"Don't make yourself sick." He also didn't need to look to know she was rolling her eyes at him.

"I'm the mother here…" She turned on the ball of her foot and marched determinedly away. Harry wasn't quite sure what to do or say so he gestured to a nearby bench beneath a towering shade tree. Dudley nodded and the pair seated themselves at opposite ends. Harry still didn't know what to say.

"I never thanked you for saving my life from…what ever those things were. So…thank you for that." Harry nodded slowly.

"You're welcome." After a moment he added, "and I'm sorry I laid you out the last summer I was there."

"Don't be. I deserved it. So did my dad. Once I got away from him for a little while…let's just say it's a whole different point of view coming back."

"I'll bet." They both hesitated, each seeking something to continue the conversation.

"I know you won. Mum told me that much. Things work out for you after that?" It was strange Harry should be confounded by such a simple question. He had faced bizarre and, to most people, unimaginable things and not hesitated this much.

"Uh…yeah. I have a job I enjoy, a couple of them actually, a wife I love and a few wonderful kids. What more could I ask for?"

"How many kids?"

"Four. With a fifth on the way."

"Wow." Harry thought that was quite a bit of an understatement.

"How about you. How's your life been since…what's it been? Fifteen years ago?"

"About that. It's been good. Better that I ever hoped. You know those boxing lessons my dad made me take?" Harry nodded. "Paid off. I'm a professional heavyweight fighter now. Good one too. Won the Isles Title a couple times, Aussie Belt, even made a run at the American circuit. And most importantly, it got me Sarah."

"Your wife."

"That's right."

"How did you two meet?"

"She's a paramedic. She was working ringside when I knocked out this big bruiser named Wilkins. I wanted to make sure he was okay. When she tracked me down later to let be know he would be fine we hit it off. All these years and a son later, here we are."

"Do they know? About me? The world I live in? Did you tell them?" Dudley slowly shook his head.

"No. Didn't really see the point. They're not part of it and…you know how my parents are. If I start telling Verne the little bit I know my father would go ballistic." Harry nodded in silent ascent of that fact.

"How are they, your parents? My aunt and uncle." The man hesitated for several moments trying to summarize fifteen years into fifteen words.

"They are…exactly what you would expect. He's the aging company man moving steadily up in the ranks and she's the doting housewife keeping everything spotless at home. And they both love their grandchild. Not a speck of weirdness about him." Harry chuckled a little at that.

"Yeah. I'll bet." Once more silence descended and this time dragged on. For fully two minutes neither of them could come up with anything to say next. Finally frustration got the better of him. "Merlin! We haven't seen each other for fifteen years! You would think we'd have more to say." After a moment Dudley shrugged.

"Why? We were never that close when we lived together and we've lead such radically different lives they don't belong in the same history book or even the same section of the library." That was perhaps the most profound thing he had ever heard out of a Dursely.

"So…you're saying we're basically two complete strangers who just happen to share a few memories?"

"Pretty much. We won't visit each other on the holidays. I'm not going to call you if I buy a new car so we can cruise around in it. You won't owl me when your oldest graduates from school. All that connects us…really connects us…is a thin trickle in the blood. And that's not enough to make us more that far distant cousins." Dusting off his knees, he rose. "It was good to see you again Harry. And I'm happy, I really am, that your life is going well." He held out is hand. After a moment Harry rose and gripped it firmly,

"I'm happy for you too Dudley. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." A wry smile crossed the other man's lips.

"Maybe. Take care."

"You too." And with that the man with steel cable wrists and grip that could crush a stone let go and moved past him to rejoin his family on their day out. Harry watched him go and tried to figure out exactly what it was that he felt. He didn't feel the urge to run after the man and invite them all to his house for Christmas but some small part of him was saying he _should_ feel that way. Reconciling that with his actual emotions was the part that was confusing him.

"That was it?" He turned as Ginny appeared at his side and offered him an ice cream cone. He took it carefully and noticed she was already halfway through hers.

"Turns out we didn't really have that much to say. Must have taken less time than I thought though. You're only part way through that." She glanced up while trying to keep up with the drips.

"Actually…it's my third." Harry held his cone a little more protectively. "What? It's cookie dough! You know how much I love that."

"Well…that confirms it."

"What?"

"Third sign of a Ginny Potter pregnancy: uncontrollable lust for cookie dough ice cream."

"Funny. You should count yourself lucky."

"In what way?"

"Most men have to _walk_ to the store in the middle of the night. You can just apparate." Harry leaned a little closer to her.

"For you I would walk to a store in Ireland." She was caught short by his sudden showing of commitment and affection. "Your ice cream is dripping."

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	18. Ch 17: Father and Son

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 17

**Father and Son**

As the days rolled on and drew closer to Christmas the dark and chilly weather of winter once more set upon the British Isles. Between his duties to the Ministry, practice with Keystone and time at home the few weeks passed very quickly for Harry and he soon found himself on Platform 9 ¾ awaiting the express as it ferried children back from Hogwarts. Clear streets and a sunny, if cold, day meant he had ridden his motorbike to the station straight from the Ministry. He hadn't seen the sense in driving home before coming here.

Glancing over the station, Harry's eyes perked up as they found his wife's red hair bouncing through the crowd surrounded by three of his children. They had come in a Ministry car and would take it back with James' luggage. As the children saw him they broke into a run and crashed into his waiting arms. Exchanging a hug with each he rose to kiss his wife. "How was the trip?"

"Just fine. Though these two," she pointed to the twins, "spent most of their time planning new jokes to play on their older brother." Harry cast them each a considering glance before turning to face the blank wall that the arriving students would appear from. Many other families and parents were also gathered around waiting for their children to arrive for the Christmas break. Ron and Hermione were apparently running late.

The pair had decided to take the kids and visit her parents for a few days as break began. The preparations seemed to have thrown them off a little. Exchanging pleasantries with several coworkers and friends Harry kept casting glances at the entry way to the station. For Ron and Hermione to be this late was rather worrisome. Usually through sheer force of will she managed to get him where they were supposed to be on time.

"So…James isn't supposed to use magic while he's home, right?" Harry glanced down to Lily as Ginny answered.

"That's right. Not that he could do much with what he's learned so far anyway. Though if he's anything like your father he'll be a quick study so who knows what he'll have picked up."

"I was only quick at some things. You created some rather nasty spells." Harry could just see her beam at the compliment.

"True." Harry noticed Lily and the twins casting surprised glances at their mother with this revelation. Wanting to distract them Harry once more glanced up at the entrance and finally found two familiar faces. As they hurried up next to him Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"And just where have you two been? In another couple minutes Ginny would have to take Gideon and Rose home with our kids." Strangely they both looked slightly sheepish and Hermione showed the faintest hint of a blush. Ron muttered something about 'losing track of time' before Harry waved it off and turned back to the wall. A station attendant passed the group at that moment and asked everyone to step back as a train arrived at platform 10. Blending in with the sudden rush of people leaving the newly arrived cars, the first students appeared from the brick wall. If any of the muggles noticed passengers randomly appearing at their side they gave no sign.

As the students filed out pulling trunks, cages and the occasional broom case they quickly found their parents, said goodbyes to their classmates and began grouping off toward the main entrance to King's Cross for Christmas break. Harry was surprised when the parade of students suddenly stopped. A moment later one child that he quickly identified as Gideon appeared walking backward through the wall. A split second later a small orange object came flying through after him. Reacting quickly he caught the ball and headed back through the bricks. Before Harry could question anyone about what had happened the boy reappeared hauling his trunk with James at his side and Mary Williams following behind. Her eyes bounced back and forth as the boys talked.

"I told you that would work! And you said it would just bounce back."

"I said it would bounce back if you threw it from here! I never said anything about throwing it from the Express side."

"That's just splitting hairs James. You're wrong and the sooner you admit it, the better."

"I'm not wrong. I never said- Mary, help me here." Before she could interject on the behalf of either boy Harry stepped forward.

"Ahem." They both stopped mid-stride and looked up at him.

"Hi dad!"

"Hi. Did you see?" Harry frowned very slightly.

"Yes. Yes I did. And so did everyone here. Everyone." The pair was brought up short at that, apparently not having thought that far ahead. Their eyes slowly panned the shrinking group which was now more concerned with collecting their children than the boys. "And the fact that the muggles were already gone is the only reason you aren't both grounded for your entire break. So…anything to say?"

"Well…uh…"

"You see…"

"Mum!" All three were surprised by the outburst as Mary broke off to the side and nearly knocked over her trunk hugging her mother. Relief was palpable in Virginia's eyes as she embraced her daughter. Mary's was hardly less so. Harry turned away as he felt a pull on his sleeve. With Gideon joining his parents and sister he found James standing alone and looking strangely anxious. The boy seemed to be motioning for him to follow a little off to the side. Obliging, Harry did so after signaling Ginny to wait a moment and leaned down a little.

"Is there something wrong?" The boy shook his head quickly.

"No…nothing like that. It's just…" After a moment of hesitation Harry motioned for him to continue. "I…I was talking to Mary a couple days ago. About Christmas." Harry nodded. "Well…she doesn't really have any family here. It's just her and her mum. So I was thinking…we could invite them over for a couple days during Christmas? We've got plenty of space and they might like a change…" Harry stared at the boy for several seconds.

"James Potter…are you a little sweet on this girl?" James blushed furiously.

"NO! No… I just thought…" Harry waved it off.

"Well…let me talk it over with your mother. You should probably say goodbye to Gideon. You won't see him for almost a week. No idea how you'll survive." Taking the change of topic to heart James shot off to see his friend away. As he did so Harry slid up to his wife's side.

"All this time and he doesn't even notice me. You'd think Gideon had been his mother for eleven years."

"I'm sure he'll come to his senses soon. Or Lily will knock the senses into him. Same result either way."

"True." After a moment Harry inclined his head toward the Williams.

"Say…James was mentioning that Mary and her mum don't really have anyone to spend Christmas with and thought it would be nice to invite them for a couple days. It sounded good to me but I wanted to check with you." He could see the idea bouncing around in her head.

"Yeah. Go ahead. It would be fun to have someone to add to our little group. Hopefully Virginia doesn't suffer too much culture shock."

"It might be good for her to see just what her daughter is going to be able to do."

"Or terrifying." Harry was brought up short by that. "Still…better to know I suppose. So…If James ever gets around to saying 'hi'…" Her voice rose at the last clearly loud enough for her son to hear before dropping back. "I'll collect his trunk and we'll head home." James had finally got the message through his skull and after quickly fairwelling Gideon and his family rushed back over to his mother to exchange a warm hug. Greeting his siblings he turned to lead the procession out of the station as he had led it in at the start of the year. Instead he halted as Harry's hand clapped down on his shoulder. Slowly the boy's head swung up.

"Dad?"

"Lily, Albus, Sirius, Dear, we'll see you at home." With a nod Ginny grabbed hold of her son's trunk, cast a subtle lightening charm on it and lead the three surprised siblings away. As they departed Harry looked down. "Wait here." Releasing James's shoulder Harry turned and found Mary and Virginia about to go. "Ms. Williams?" They both turned as approached.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you had any plans for Christmas?" They glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

"Not really. We'll just do as we normally do. Put up our tree and whatnot. Why?"

"Because I'd like to invite you to our house for a couple days to help us celebrate the holiday. The more the merrier after all." He noticed Mary flash a glance past him to James before turning to gaze up at he mother. "And it might give you a good chance to get a little acquainted with the magical world. What do you say?" The woman looked more surprised than anything and took several moments to respond.

"I…thank you. I…we would be happy to accept." Harry nodded sharply.

"Excellent. Here's the address. Stop by whenever you're ready. We have plenty of room for however long you might wish to stay." He handed her a blank scrap of parchment. As she stared at it neat script detailing their location created itself on the paper. She nearly dropped it in shock while Mary watched with fascination. "And Merry Christmas to you."

"Merry…Merry Christmas to you too."

"Thank you." As they turned to head for the door, Virginia carefully placing the paper in her pocket and looking just slightly afraid of it, Harry returned to his son's side. "Well…now that's done. Off we go." James waved a goodbye to Mary before turning to his father.

"But…the car's already left." Harry broke into a wide smile.

"That's okay. We're not taking the car today. This way." With a hand on his shoulder to guide and keep track of the boy Harry headed for the entrance and out to the curb where his motorbike was parked. While the boy stood and stared uncomprehendingly Harry pulled out his helmet from the saddlebag and set it on the seat. A moment later he pulled out a smaller second helmet and handed it to his son. "Put that on…and these." Harry pulled out a set of gloves and handed them over as well. "The roads are clear and the sky is sunny but the wind will tear you apart it you're not ready. Well? Come on."

"I… I get to ride…on that?"

"Yeah. Thought it would be a nice little treat for you. Now hurry up." With a little help from his father James manage to get the helmet on comfortably and slip on the gloves. Harry threw a leg up and sat lightly on the bike while pointing to a foot peg. "Grab my sleeve and put your foot there." With a bit of help James landed on the passenger seat behind him. "Hold tight." Making sure the boy's arms were locked firmly around him Harry pushed the kickstand back in place, started up the machine and pulled away from the curb.

He could feel his son's excitement as they gained speed and darted through the traffic this way and that crossing the surface streets of London. Though it wasn't quite the same as the broom practice Harry knew the boy had been getting, it was exhilarating none the less.

Some miles from the station a quick flash of movement off to the side caught Harry's attention and kept more than a little of his focus on the mirrors. A few moments later he found a speck in the reflection growing quickly larger. With another moment's focus he deciphered what it was. Making the appropriate signals he pulled over on an empty stretch of road and brought the bike to a stop. Killing the motor and leaning it to the side he helped James down before removing his helmet.

"What is it dad?" The voice was slightly muffled before James managed to remove his helmet as well. Harry motioned for silence as the speck became a dot, a shape and finally resolved into an owl. Stepping aside so the creature could use the handlebars as a perch he quickly grabbed the letter that was bound to the great grey bird's leg. "What is it?" Ripping the envelope open Harry quickly looked over the contents before answering his son.

"It's from the Ministry. Apparently there's a problem nearby and they need an Auror on the double. I don't understand…Dean and Seamus are on call today." After bouncing the information back and forth in his head a couple times he turned to James. "Fancy a little side trip?" It took all of two heartbeats for the boy to nod enthusiastically. "Okay…helmet on, let's go." Scratching a quick response he tied it back onto the bird's leg and watched as it took off at enhanced speed. Slipping into his own helmet he once more helped his son onto the motorbike and pulled out into traffic.

Now racing through the streets at high speed it took much of Harry's seeker reflexes to dodge and weave through vehicles and people. After a few minutes they reached a large warehouse district and began cutting along between massive brick and mortar buildings. Here the people had disappeared and there was only the low rumble of cargo transports and machinery. Coming around a corner at high speed his eyes found their destination. A pair of Ministry cars were parked side by side blocking a gate. It was the only opening in a large fence surrounding half a dozen of the warehouses. Next to each was an official from Magical Law Enforcement dressed in muggle clothes.

Slowing to a stop and flipping up his visor so he could be recognized, Harry turned to the nearer one. "Where are they?" A split second later a blast came from between buildings several hundred feet away. "Never mind." As the cars pulled apart far enough for him to pass one of the agents held up a hand.

"Sir…the child?" Harry waved him off.

"My son. Don't worry about it." The man hesitated for a moment before stepping back. Harry accelerated through the opening and toward the location of the blast. Stopping near the front of a building he quickly hopped off and removed his helmet before hanging it on the handlebar. He helped James do the same. "Now listen close." Waiting until he had the boy's full attention he continued. "I don't know what's going on in there but it's dangerous. Stay behind me at all times. And if I tell you to stay somewhere you stay there. Understand?" James nodded slowly and Harry could see unease creeping into the child's eyes at being talked to by 'Auror Harry'. "Good. Let's go." Checking once to make sure James was following Harry headed down the alley between the buildings.

Now that they were closer he could make out the dampened sounds of battle within. It wasn't fast or furious but it was there. Two more agents were standing just outside a large double door with wands drawn keeping an eye on the perimeter. As Harry approached he drew his wand and readied himself for whatever might be coming. "Inside?" Both of the guards nodded before glancing at James. "He's with me." A backward glance told him James was wide eyed and had also drawn his wand. His hand was shaking as he pointed it this way and that. There was very little he could do with only part of a year's training, but he was preparing himself nonetheless.

Stepping inside Harry could see much of the building was filled with wooden crates of various sizes, each and every one of them marked with the word 'import' in large red letters. Taking quick stock of the building his attention was soon drawn to a small huddle of men and women gathered nearby behind several large crates. As he hurried over several nodded in greeting including the one at the center.

"Harry, thanks for coming."

"Sure Seamus. What's going on?" The man stuck a thumb over his shoulder indicating a deeper part of the building.

"We received an anonymous tip an hour ago that some wizards were trying to remove illegal goods from the import warehouses. A team of junior Aurors came down to deal with it. Turns out these bas-" At that moment he glanced down and noticed James' wide eyed stare. "Guys can fight. That's when I got called in. And called for backup."

"Okay. But why me? Where's Dean?" Seamus took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Dean…is at St. Mungo's."

"What's wrong with-"

"With Lavender." Harry blinked several times.

"The baby." Seamus nodded slowly. "Do they know…?"

"Not yet. He got the call just before this came up. Ready to tear the hospital apart too. Apparently she's been there since this morning."

"Well… We can talk about it after. Let's deal with this." Adding weight to the words a stray spell tore past them and singed a nearby crate.

"Right." He paused for a moment before again indicating the back of the building. "Something you should know. The team that got here first says they hit each of these guys with multiple disabling spells. No notable effect. Don't know why." Harry shrugged off his coat and stretched just a little. Without the jacket the chill of the day hit him and helped him focus.

"Let's find out." Looking around he found a piece of lumber roughly the same length and width as his arm. Grabbing it by one end he turned to his son. "James. I want you to stay here these agents. I'll be back in a few minutes. Understand?" The boy seemed unable to speak and could merely nod. His wide eyes were locked on the piece of wood Harry had picked up. "Good. Seamus…would you care to lead?"

"Certainly." Leaving his son and the rest of the Aurors behind Harry followed Seamus from the relative safety of the crates and deeper into the warehouse. Dropping into a crouch he scouted the area ahead as they hurriedly advanced. A team of Aurors was crouched behind a row of crates flinging spells at shadowy assailants moving back and forth in what was rapidly becoming a smoky part of the building. As they reached the boxes Seamus tapped one of them on the shoulder. "Any luck?" The woman shook her head.

"No sir. We've hit them each at least three or four times and nothing seems to faze them." The man nodded before turning to Harry.

"I'll go left and distract them; you go right and take them out." Harry nodded sharply.

"And be careful. I don't know your style as well as Dean."

"Right. See you after."

"After." Waiting only a moment as Seamus departed he turned to the woman. "Keep them occupied. And don't hit us." Not waiting for confirmation he crept away and through the stacks of crates. Using the spells as a guide he slowly worked his way through the massive wooden constructs to a point near the back corner of the assailants. Sneaking his way forward he dropped to a low crouch behind a crate and found himself looking at the backs of the four people the team up front was trying to pin down.

Auror training told him he should have more backup for this but it was too late for that call. Getting a clear look he could see all four of them, three men and a woman, smiling as they fought. Not a smile of joy but one he had learned to associated with irretrievable madness. Glancing down to make sure the crate would protect him for a moment he readied himself.

"Surrender in the name of the Ministry!" Seamus' bellowed command drew their attention quickly. With a much closer target to focus on they turned and began rapidly launching spells at the new arrival. Not wasting time Harry rose from his position and raised both the wand and the piece of wood to attack. A stunning spell flew in and hit the man nearest him. As they had said it didn't seem to faze him though it did turn him half around. Spotting Harry the man shakily pointed his wand. A quick shield charm protected him from whatever had been cast and gave Harry a critical second to close the distance.

Spinning as he approached, Harry pulled back the club. "Well…magic doesn't work…how about this!" He felt the makeshift club connect with the man's stomach and cause him to double over. A lighter hit knocked loose his wand and an immobilization hex and point blank range finally seemed to affect him as the man collapsed to the floor. The second Assailant was disposed of quickly thereafter in a similarly direct manner. Between Seamus and the others they managed to score enough stunning hits that the third man dropped to the ground unconscious.

The woman, apparently aware she was now horribly outnumbered, began to retreat before finding her exit blocked by crates. With the same crazed grin she slowly raised her wand and pointed it at her own head. Mouthing the words 'bye, bye' she smiled even wider. "Avada-"

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted the command as fast as he could, the strike lancing out toward her arm. He just hoped it be enough.

"Kedavra!" Her arm was knocked back and the killing curse just missed her head before blowing out a window on the side of the building. With her suicide attempt diverted she let out a howl of rage and charged at him, hands raised like claws. Dropping the club to catch her wand Harry pushed everything he had into a stunning spell. Hitting her square in the chest she slowed but seemed only more enraged. Dodging at the last second Harry jumped to the side and tripped her lunging form. Unable to stop her mad assault she crashed head first into a crate and slumped to the ground unconscious. Seeing the fight over one of the other Aurors passed him to check on her. After a moment's search he looked back up as Seamus approached.

"She'll live. Did…did she just try to kill herself?" Harry nodded as he handed off the wand and headed back toward the corner of the warehouse. The junior Auror continued. "I don't understand. Why? And why did it take so much to bring them down? They're obviously not part giant." Seamus merely shook his head.

"I don't know. We'll scour every inch of this place though and figure it out."

"I know." They turned as Harry returned carrying a small plastic bag filled with red tablets. "I noticed these as I was coming in. That whole crate's full of them and it had the top blasted off." He tossed them to Seamus. "Street drugs. Common enough in the muggle population. But they have a strange reaction on witches and wizards. A hundred times more effective. Makes you manically happy and literally feel no pain. That's why these guys wouldn't go down." Seamus looked down at the bag with something combining hate and revulsion.

"We'll burn it. Burn it all."

"Definitely." Harry glanced around and let out a long breath. "Can you handle it from here? I need to get James home…after I swing by the office and fill out a report." Harry added the last part with great reluctance. He could flaunt policy this once and do it tomorrow…but what kind of example would that be?

"Yeah. Go. I'll see you at the office. We'll clean up this scum." He leaned down toward one of the men who was starting to come around. "A few days in Azkaban should sober them right up." The man merely smiled that same insane grin.

"Let's hope so." Sheathing his wand Harry turned and headed back through the scene, past the line of crates and to the makeshift command group that had formed near the door.

"Dad?" Snapping him back to the present Harry found his son staring at him with wide eyes. Kneeling, Harry embraced him for a moment. "What is it? What's wrong?" Harry shook his head as he pulled back.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. Listen…I have to go to the Ministry for a little while and do some paperwork for this. I'm going to apparate you home and then-"

"Can I come?" There was a strange earnestness in James voice at the question.

"It's just paperwork. There's nothing really…yeah. Sure." Not quite sure why he had agreed Harry helped the boy back onto the bike, something James was picking up quickly, and started for the office. Weaving past the cars first at the gate then on the road as they headed back to the Ministry building Harry carefully replayed the event in his mind. They had been noticing several shipments of narcotics coming into the country with some magical connection and had dutifully kicked the cases over to the muggle police. This was the first one however that seemed to be completely run by witches or wizards. Something felt off about it and slowly nagged at the edge of his brain.

Arriving at the familiar phone booth Harry turned off the motor, helped James down and cast a quick disillusionment charm that concealed the vehicle against the wall. Following his son into the booth he punched in his access code. Wracking his brain for a moment he glanced down. "I just realized…you've never been here, have you?"

"Uh…no."

"Well…don't expect too much. It's really just a bunch of offices and administrators." At that moment the elevator began to descend causing James to look around in surprise. "Oh…and this." As they entered full darkness he could hear James shuffling around uneasily.

"Luminos." Harry had to shield his eyes momentarily as the boy created light with his wand.

"I applaud that you've learned that but it wasn't really necessary. You see," light began to stream in from the lobby as the elevator reached the bottom floor. "We're here."

"Nox. Right. Sorry."

"Don't be. I should have mentioned it. Well…after you." Harry pushed the door open and followed James as he stumbled into the lobby, his eyes trying to look everywhere at once. Using a hand on the boy's shoulder to guide him Harry led him past the entrance desks and to the elevators.

"Wow…" While pressing the 'up' button Harry noticed him staring at the golden statues that were the centerpiece of the room. For just a moment he too felt the child like wonder that came from seeing these things for the first time. Of course, that first viewing had been draped in fear that he might be kicked out of the Wizarding world, have his wand broken and be forced to leave all he had learned behind.

"Come on." James tore his eyes away and stepped past the golden grill. He found new wonders as several paper airplanes entered on the fourth floor and swirled over his head. "Memos. Works much better than owls inside." James nodded not quite taking his eyes off them. Stepping from the elevator, Harry noticed the few missing people in the Auror department who had likewise gone to pick up their children. Most of the staff at the moment consisted of junior Aurors and a couple with out kids. Several looked up at his arrival and were clearly surprised to see him there. They were even more surprised to see James trailing behind and trying to look everywhere at once.

Hustling the boy along Harry led him into the office he shared with Ron and pointed to the couch. "Have a seat. This should only take a few minutes." Sitting at his desk Harry pulled up and incident report and a quill. Having constructed much of the report in his head on the way over he quickly scratched out most of it. Taking a break he glanced over and found James looking around, slightly board. "Not quite what you expected?" The boy shrugged.

"It…just… This is the Ministry of Magic. I expected more…magic. This is just an office. And you're just…writing. It's like Magical History." Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Magic isn't everything." James seemed truly surprised at this. "Magic can be a great aid in doing many things but even in the Auror office at least half of everything is paperwork. Remember that the next time you write home complaining about all the scrolls you have to write." Leaving him to contemplate that for several moments Harry rapidly finished the report, double checked it and placed it in a file. The file wrote the location, date and time of the incident on its own label and closed itself with a red string. Rising from his chair, Harry headed for the door and pushed it mostly closed. Flipping up the mail slot he steadied the file and sent it through. After going to the mail room it would be routed to records after a copy was sent to the head of the Auror department's office. "Well…that's that. Shall we- Whoa!" Harry had been surprised as he pulled the door back open to find a figure standing there with his fist raised to knock.

"Hardly a welcoming greeting Mr. Potter." Harry stepped back and gestured Alex into the office.

"Yeah, sorry about that. You just surprised me. What can I do for you?"

"I just stopped by to let you know Katherine and I are heading back to the States for a couple weeks. We're going to visit family and check if anything new has happened."

"Makes sense. See you after the new year?"

"Certainly." The man glanced to the side and studied James for a moment. "Your son?" Harry smiled broadly as he nodded.

"Yep. My oldest, James. James, this is my former professor Alex Keystone." Keystone approached and held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you." James took it hesitantly and shook as firmly as he could. His eyes however seemed fixed on the man's face. The barest hint of a grin appeared in response. "A question?" The boy seemed spooked he had been noticed but nodded. "About?"

"Um…your glasses. Why are you wearing them inside?"

"A fair question. Because they help me see." The boy's face turned quizzical.

"It's too bright for you?" Keystone shook his head slightly.

"Unfortunately no. They help me," he pulled the glasses down far enough to reveal the burned out sockets where his eyes had been, "see." James recoiled slightly at the sudden sight. He cringed as he spoke.

"How…did that happen?" Keystone glanced to Harry, who nodded slightly.

"Fighting in the last battle of the Second Wizard's War. Many people lost things that day. I was one of the more fortunate ones." Letting the child contemplate that, he turned to Harry. "Until the new year."

"Until then." Turning swiftly the man disappeared from the door and out into the office. Harry let out a long breath. Though he knew what had happened to the man's eyes, seeing up close was still slightly unnerving. "Ready to go James?"

"Y…yeah." Gathering up his possessions and his son Harry headed out. James was stiff and silent as they made their way home and barely acknowledged his father as they entered the back door of the house. It seemed he had been overloaded in the last couple hours and wasn't quite sure how to respond. Leaving his traveling cloths near the door the boy disappeared up the stairs. As such, he just missed his mother bowling up from the basement with worry in her eye.

"Harry? Harry, what happened? I glanced over at the clock after you two didn't show up and both of your hands were swung around to 'Danger'." Harry could see the worry in her eyes as she looked around for James in between looking him over. Slowly he took hold of her shoulders to steady her.

"I got an emergency owl from the Ministry requesting assistance. Seamus needed help taking down some rogue wizards. After I took care of it we stopped by the Ministry for a few minutes so I could file the report. James is upstairs. He's just fine. He wanted to tag along or I would have just apparated him back here." She calmed considerably having some explanation for what happened and took several moments to process the information.

"But…where was Dean? Isn't he Seamus' partner?"

"Yeah. Dean's at St. Mungo's…with Lavender. The baby. That's all I know." Her eyes widened.

"Oh. I hope they're alright this time."

"So do I, love. So do I."

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	19. Ch 18: A Grimmauld Christmas

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 18

**A Grimmauld Christmas**

"Okay! Everyone gets a cigar!" Harry leaned to the side as he looked out the window of his office trying to figure out who had just yelled out such an odd phrase. Many strange things had been said in the past at the Auror office in the week leading up to Christmas, but this was so far the weirdest. He glanced across the desks to Ron who was also wearing a quizzical expression and had half turned around in his chair. They shrugged simultaneously, neither having a clue what was going on. Their confusion only lasted a few moments though before Dean Thomas appeared in their office doorway with a massive smile and carrying a small box. "Potter, Weasley…here you go!" At that he tossed them each a cigar wrapped in plastic. Both caught it in midair, Harry bringing it down with a twirl around his fingers.

"Uh…thanks Dean. What's it for?" Harry had some inkling that this should make sense, something from long ago, but couldn't quite put the pieces together. He glanced over Dean and could see under the enthusiasm that he was tired, beaten and in disarray. He looked like he had been awake for days.

"Celebration! I've got a daughter!" And finally the pieces clicked in Harry's head forming a picture that made him smile. Rising from his chair he shook the man's hand firmly and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Congratulations Dean. How's Lavender?"

"Fine. Never better. Both of us are. All three of us I should say." Ron likewise rose and shook the man's hand.

"What did you name her?" Dean very nearly let Ron finish before responding, clearly anticipating the question, or perhaps too sleep deprived to notice.

"Isabella. Isabella Marie Thomas."

"Nice." Dean nodded rapidly at the response before glancing over his shoulder and noticing there were other people in the office.

"Got to go, more cigars to hand out. I'll bring a picture soon as we get one!" He was halfway to the next office before jerking back. "Oh, Potter! Thanks for covering that thing the other day!"

"Sure. No-" and Dean was gone to spread news and excitement. "Problem." He glanced down at the cigar before looking back up to Ron. "You know…with all the preparation for Christmas…I forgot." Ron nodded slowly.

"Me too. Well… Good for them. He looks a lot better than last time."

"Not surprising."

"No." Ron glanced down at the cigar he was holding before indicating it with a small lift. "So…what's with these?" Harry cracked a smile as he set his aside.

"Old Muggle custom. A new father would give all of his friends a cigar to celebrate his child's birth." Ron looked quizzically down at the little object before setting it aside.

"Strange custom. 'You've got a kid; now fill their room with smoke.' That sounds real healthy." Harry cocked an eyebrow at his friend.

"It's a tradition Ron. Just let it go."

"So was burning witches. Doesn't mean it's a good idea." Harry blinked a couple times trying to figure out a retort that made any sort of sense. Finding none, he defaulted to blackmail.

"Look…do you want to spend Christmas at my place or not?" Ron's face changed immediately.

"This cigar thing is the best idea muggles ever had. It should be in every home, shop and pub in the country. No, the world!" Harry rolled his eyes and waved his friend off.

"Okay, okay. Let's just drop it."

"Can do." Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Speaking of Christmas… Your in-laws used to you popping in every night yet?" Ron grinned a little.

"They're getting there. Just a few more times this year and then they won't have to deal with it for a while."

"You'll be coming over to Grimmauld soon then?"

"Yeah. Just a couple days. How're the preparations coming?"

"Oh, you know. Same old, same old."

* * *

"Albus, Sirius! Get over her and help me clean this room. Half this stuff is yours anyway!" Gunny's shouting voice was the first thing Harry heard as he walked in the back door after work. His twin sons shot past him a moment later answering their mother's summons.

"Coming, Mum! Hi dad!" Harry barely had time to wave before they disappeared into a side room where Ginny was presumably working. Following them after dropping off his traveling clothes he indeed found her sorting through a stack of books where they had accumulated on the floor. Her hair was pulled tightly back and she had on some old cleaning clothes that were now rather dusty. She glanced up and smiled for a greeting. Harry returned it before gesturing to the piles of things lying around.

"How's it going?"

"So far, so good. I just- Dobby, I've got it!" She swatted Dobby's hand away from the stack of books he was trying to pull from her grasp. He looked exasperated and more than a little worried.

"But Mistress! This is cleaning work! Dobby and Winky should be doing this! Are you not happy with how we've been cleaning? We can do better! We can!" Ginny let out what was clearly not her first sigh of the day as she brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Dobby, you do a wonderful job. But the kids need to learn to clean up after themselves and I need the exercise." Harry nearly laughed at that last bit.

"But Mistress Ginny! You've been working all day and with-" Her sharp glance cut off whatever he was about to say. Seeing that she was in no mood to argue he stepped back and looked for something else he could do to help. He found Harry standing in the doorway and grinned.

"Master Harry!" Harry nodded in response.

"Don't worry Dobby. I'm sure there's plenty to do elsewhere." Ginny turned and nodded sharply.

"You're right, there is. So why aren't you helping?" Harry didn't need her to ask twice and jumped to find some old clothes and broom.

* * *

Normally Ron, Hermione and their children would be the first family to arrive for Christmas break and would spend much of their time at Grimmauld. However, with the family visiting Gideon and Rose's maternal grandparents for several days the house remained quieter much further into the season. This gave the Potters a little extra time to clean and prepare but it also meant the younger kids were growing increasingly bored with James' recitations of his time at Hogwarts.

Some of that was relieved however when Molly and Arthur arrived with their trunk to take up residence on the second floor. They were both more than willing to listen to their grandson prattle on for hours about things they had heard seven times with their own children and would hear at least as many times more with their grandchildren. They were also both more than willing to hear that the number of their grandchildren would be increasing again. Though Harry and Ginny had decided to keep her pregnancy under wraps at least until the new year, there were a few people they had to tell.

The elder statesmen of the ever growing Weasley clan were soon joined by Charlie who was sporting a nasty slash across his forearm from a dragon's talon. Though magical healing had helped it tremendously, dragons had a bit of built in magic that made their wounds particularly hard to fix. It would be a good couple weeks before it would heal completely. Charlie waved it off whenever anyone commented on it. "Small price to pay for seeing the creatures up close, working with them every day." Mrs. Weasley would often cut glances at him at this point. Her maternal protectiveness ever vigilant against what her son might get into his head.

Percy arrived soon after with a letter and Christmas card from Bill and Fleur. The couple had gone to France to visit her parents with Victorie and Marie. Percy had visited them for a day before coming home for the holiday. Having proven his worth time and again in the minister's office Percy had now been promoted to something of a magical ambassador for the Ministry and traveled the world making contacts and communicating with other governmental agencies magical and Muggle. It was pure luck he was in France at the same time as his brother since a planned trip to Peru had been canceled do to a hurricane. He arrived still in his travel clothes with a small suitcase at his side.

Remus and Dora's arrival was marked by multiple blurs of movement shortly after the greetings were exchanged. Teddy, annoyed that Victorie and her parents would be in France for the whole break, was pulled off by James, apparently about some questions regarding the school. Lilly immediately set upon Remus wondering about the subtler effects of a Wolfsbane potion and Rose managed to steal Dora right out from under Ginny's nose to talk to her about Merlin knew what. At the end Harry and Ginny were left standing in the hallway not entirely sure what had happened.

Fred and George never actually managed to properly arrive but that didn't keep them from leaving. Constantly. The week before Christmas was the second busiest time of the entire year for them. The week before April first was the busiest. As such they needed to keep and eye on all of their shops and constantly be creating fresh supplies of much of their merchandise. In the last couple days they would often use large numbers of charms to stay awake for two day stretches just to keep up with demand. It was worth it however as that very dedication kept them on top of the market. Being so busy they could only stop in one at a time for an hour or two but they did so as often as possible.

By ones, twos and more the house slowly filled up with friends and family until it was positively packed with jolly Christmas folks. It seemed sometimes that the house would explode with all the festivities and people. Event he portrait of Dumbledore in the entry way had found red hat and cup of hot cocoa somewhere. He greeted each partly warmly as they arrived. The next to last group to arrive to stay was also one of the smallest. For a change they neither popped into existence in the entry way or came sliding out of the chimney. A simple knock heralded their arrival and it was mere chance that Lily was in the entry way at the time that someone hear it.

"Mum! Dad!" After calling to her parents she pushed the curtain on the front door aside and glanced out. She was about to open the door when Harry and Ginny arrived from different parts of the house.

"Who is it Lily?" The girl turned to her mother.

"I think it's James' friend from school. Mary…whatever. And her Mum." Motioning the girl aside Ginny pulled the door open to find the Williams standing on the stoop looking apprehensive.

"Virginia, Mary! You made it! Come in, come in." As they did Virginia nodded.

"Yes. It took a moment but we found the place. It's weird. We drove past it twice before we saw it. It was like it wasn't even here." Harry glanced to his wife sheepishly after realizing he had neglected to mention the part about the Fidelus charm. After a moment he volunteered an explanation.

"Yeah…that was my fault. If forgot to mention the charm on the house. Sort of keeps it hidden from wandering eyes." Virginia looked incredulous, Mary interested.

"The…the whole house?" Harry shrugged.

"It's…magic. Well…you found your way here at least. Now let's see…"

"Mary!" They all turned as James careened down the stairs nearly running over the new arrivals before managing to stop. "Hi!"

"Hi. Merry Christmas James."

"Merry Christmas." Both sides hesitated for a moment, not quite sure what to do next. Harry jerked a thumb toward the stairs.

"Why don't you help Mary pick out a room while she's here?"

"Right! Good idea Dad! Is this you're bag? I've got it! I've already got it! Come on up! This way!" Before any of the adults were quite sure what was happening Mary found herself being hustled up the stairs with James carrying her small suitcase. Harry stared after them for a moment uncertain of what he was watching in action.

"Thanks again for inviting us. This is…quite a bit more than we usually do." Harry turned to find Virginia looking around in wonder at the house and its furnishings. "As a thank you," she reached into a bag at her side and pulled out a pan covered with a metal lid. "I brought some of homemade Christmas treats. It's not much but…" She pulled back the lid and Harry was surprised to see the most interesting assortment of little candies, pastries and chocolate dipped bits and bobs he had ever seen outside of a sweets shop. Ginny leaned in and smiled broadly.

"They look delicious. Do you mind if I put them in the kitchen by the cocoa?"

"Not at all." Ginny accepted the pan and turned to carry it carefully down the stairs, dodging Winky as she went. The elf stepped up beside Harry and gestured in the direction of the kitchen.

"Mr. Potter? Will you be having supper soon?" Harry glance down to the creature and nodded.

"Yes. About an hour Winky. Thank you."

"Yes sir." She half turned away before looking back. "Sir… I know it is not my place to question but… Are you sure you do not want us to work on Christmas?" Harry shook his head firmly.

"No. You two take the day off and enjoy yourselves. You more than deserve it." They elf nodded uncertainly before heading back down to the kitchen. Though the pair had gotten better about being treated like employees over the years they were still fighting deeply ingrained habits. Looking back he found Virginia staring after the creature with wide eyes. "Oh…uh… House elf. Magical housekeepers. A pair works here doing various things. That was Winky. The other one is Dobby. You'll see them around." She still stared wide eyed.

"Okay…" Harry took a slow breath seeing in her eyes all the thoughts that had passed through his mind when first being properly introduced into the world of magic. Waiting until she refocused on him he gestured once more to the stairs.

"We should get you a place to stay before dinner. Come on." Taking her bag Harry led the way up the stairs. "All a bit disconcerting isn't it?" He heard her stumble a little as she followed.

"Yeah. Mary's told me about all sorts of things and I glanced at a couple of her textbooks but…to see it…"

"I know the feeling. When I first started at Hogwarts it felt like half my time was spent staring at things everyone else took for granted. Moving pictures, house elves, changing stairs…everything." As he reached the second floor he turned to wait. She stared at him for several moments as she climbed the last couple stairs.

"You mean…you were…what's the term for us…? Muggleborn?" Harry shook his head as he gestured down the hallway.

"No. My mother was but both my parents were magical. After they were killed I was raised by my very non-magical aunt and uncle. They hated the magical world and I had no knowledge of it until I got my letter from Hogwarts. It was quite a shock. Let's see…there's a couple rooms open up here… Virginia?" Turning, Harry found she had stopped several paces back and was staring at him. "What?"

"Your…parents. Were killed?" In a flash Harry realized just how much he took the fact that everyone knew that for granted. He could see surprise, fear and apprehension in her eyes at that information. He slowly nodded.

"When I was an infant. A dark wizard killed them because they tried to fight him. That's why I lived in the muggle world for so long. I can tell you more about it later. It's long since history at this point." She nodded uncertainly and moved to catch up. As she did James came dashing out of a room to the right followed by Mary. They tore past the pair with nary a greeting apparently heading for James' room. After a moment's consideration Harry took a few steps forward and gestured to a door. "This room is available and your daughter is right next door." Pushing the door open he revealed one of the many simply decorated guest rooms that made up the second floor. Virginia stepped in and looked around.

"It's…very nice. Thank you."

"Of course. Why don't you take off your coat and settle in? We can head down stairs and I'll introduce you to some people before dinner. Arthur I'm sure would love to meet you."

"Arthur?"

"My father-in-law. He has a…fascination with the muggle world." She hesitated for several moments and looked around. "I know it's a lot to take in. Just take it slow. I'll be down in the entry way." She nodded slowly.

"Thank you."

"Of course." Turning, Harry left her to settle in as best she could.

* * *

Harry was the only one waiting when the last members of the Weasley clan came shooting out the fireplace fast enough that they nearly took out the large tree standing in the corner of the room. Ron, Rose and Gideon sprang to their feet and looked around as they dusted themselves off. "Hey mate. Glad you could make it."

"So are we." Ron glanced to his two children. "You two get settled in."

"Hi Uncle Harry!" With the short greeting they both nodded to their father and took off toward the stairs carrying their bags. Harry glanced back to the fireplace and then to his friend. "What?"

"Where's Hermione?" Ron jerked his head toward the front door.

"She's on her way. She had a couple extra things to bring." Harry cocked an eyebrow as he joined his friend in walking to the door.

"Like books?" Ron shook his head.

"Nope. For a change. A couple extra visitors. They should be here right about," a loud popping sound came from the entryway, "now." Passing through the doorway Harry found two people disengaging from each of Hermione's arms and looking around in wonder. He recognized them instantly as her parents though he hadn't seen them in a few years. Settling their eyes on him they stepped forward in greeting.

"Harry! It's been too long. Hermione talked us into dropping by for a couple days. Hope you don't mind." Harry shook her father's hand firmly.

"Not at all Mr. Granger. The more the merrier as they say."

"That's the spirit. Family gatherings at Christmas are so much fun." Harry returned a friendly hug from her mother before gesturing to the stairs.

"Why don't you two find a place to stay upstairs and then join us in the family room? Everyone's here."

"Excellent idea. Can you show us the way kiddo?" Harry paused for a moment before realizing he was talking to Hermione. She to took a moment to respond after being called by a childhood nickname. With a wave she directed them toward the stairs. Harry managed not to crack a deranged smile until they were halfway to the next floor. He just caught a cutting glance from Hermione as she disappeared down the hall. Ron managed to nearly contain a chuckle.

"Nothing like parents to make you feel like a kid again huh?" After a moments consideration he glanced to Harry. "Or…uh…sorry." Harry waved it off with a grin.

"Don't be. I get the feeling whenever I'm around your mother." He paused for a moment before gesturing to the back of the house. "Shall we?" Ron's reply was delayed by the dashing forms of his children nearly sliding down the stairs, slingshotting around the banister and rocketing down the hall ahead of them.

"I guess so." Taking a far more leisurely pace they had time to chat.

"How are things at the office?"

"Fine. I checked in a couple hours ago. Seamus is keeping an eye on things today with Crookly." Harry's head cocked to the side.

"Crookly?" Ron nodded.

"Yeah. He volunteered to cover Dean's days for a couple weeks so Dean could stay home with Lavender and Isabella. Good one on him too."

"Yeah. I hope those three are doing well. They certainly deserve it after…" Ron nodded in agreement.

"Seamus says they are. Both parents are nervous as all hell and the kid seems content to eat and sleep. Can't say I blame them. I was a wreck after Rose was born." Harry nodded slowly while mentally recalling how nervous he had been with James. In both cases Mrs. Weasley had been a welcome help to the new parents.

Reaching the back of the house Harry led the way into the relatively new sitting room. They had added it a couple years ago after their living room had become too small for gatherings of their entire extended family. The new room had a wide fireplace of its own and more than enough space to hold and comfortably seat forty people. Ginny had personally gone to great lengths to make the room as inviting as possible for their guests. To that end she had selected several paintings and photographs, some of them non-magical, to adorn three of the walls. Each of these showed some scene of comfort and tranquility or simply rest. A large one over the fireplace showed a room much like their living room that dutifully changed with the seasons and even had its own roaring fire in the winter months.

Opposite the fireplace much of the wall was made of large windows that reached nearly from the floor to within a handbreadth of the fourteen foot ceiling. They could either been enchanted to display a typical outdoor day much like the windows at the Ministry or left plain to look out on the back yard. On that particular late morning they showed out on a thick blanket of snow that had fallen overnight and was even now tapering down. The sun that was breaking through the cloud cover was striking the fresh powder at just the correct angle to make the entire back yard shimmer like a million tiny diamonds.

Ron's arrival was marked by a number of greetings from every corner of the room and by his mother bustling up and doing a quick inspection. After exchanging hugs she hurried past to find Hermione. As Ron headed off to find some cocoa Harry glanced around the room and smiled to himself. Friends and family at the holidays; something he had hoped during his school days he would live to see. Looking around he noticed little knots of conversation he found interesting.

Neville had stopped in for the day and was apparently chatting with Arthur about Quiddich judging by the hand gestures being used. Every few seconds his eyes would drift off to the corner where Luna Lovegood had all but cornered Remus to talk about something and was receiving quizzical expressions in return. Several of the children had pulled Mary over to where Dora was sitting with a small mirror and demonstrating her morphing abilities to the shock and surprise of the girl. Mary's mother was across the room being chatted up by Fred as he demonstrated a couple of their tamer inventions, both of which she seemed to find quite remarkable. Virginia was still ill at ease with magic in general but she was beginning to understand the world enough to get by. She wasn't flinching every time a portrait moved anymore.

As if by group consent and with nary a word to anyone every last one of the children turned at once and bolted out the main door nearly bowling over Hermione and her parents as they left. Her eyes darted around at suddenly being swallowed by a sea of youngsters.

"Hey! Wait… What?" Before she could elicit any answers they had disappeared and a moment later Harry could hear the army marching up the stairs. Half the adults in the room were looking around at each other wondering what was going on. The other half was shrugging having no idea themselves. Before anyone could offer an explanation the pounding feet reversed themselves and the march came back down the stairs, shot through the hallway and tore out the backdoor. All Harry could discern from his position was that they seemed to now be wearing coats.

All attention turned out through the windows where the stream of children sprang out into the snow with the enthusiasm of a just released prisoner. Within moments snow was being rolled and packed into various shapes. Some became a good sized snowman on one side that got tall enough only Teddy could reach to put the head in place. Digging up stones and sticks they soon had a fully formed snowman standing before them. On the other side of the lawn more intricate work was being done and they soon had a decent facsimile of an igloo which Albus was crawling out of after knocking a small hole in the roof for light. Most everyone still inside house had stopped what ever they were doing and was watching with amusement at the things being constructed.

It was only a matter of time however before the inevitable happened. No one was sure who started it or from where the first throw had come. Even years later the argument still raged and nothing short of a trip into a pensive, and in many cases not even that, would settle the debate over who had begun what would be called the Great Christmas Snowball Fight. Before anyone inside could do much the lawn had been split into two sides and packed balls of snow were flying. Walls were hastily thrown up; fortifications added and covered positions taken. It was only a few moments though before Hermione and Ginny shot past Harry and toward the back door.

"That's not fair!" Harry had to agree with his wife. Some how one side had ended up with nearly all the boys which outnumbered the few girls and Teddy on the other. Stepping in to assist, both women arrived and soon helped their team gain the upper hand. Harry felt a tug on his sleeve toward the door. He turned to find Ron motioning to the back yard.

"Both adults and Teddy on one side? We have to even this up." Harry nodded and followed his friend.

"Let's go!" Dashing through the door they both had to dodge projectiles that immediately started coming at them. Sliding to a halt behind their sons both men packed up quickly grabbed clumps of snow and launched them before dodging return fire. Harry couldn't help but laugh as they exchanged volleys side to side. With Ron being the better aim he spent much of his time packing ordnance for his friend. Inspired by their parents jumping in James and Gideon urged their side on. All of them had to duck for cover though as reinforcements showed up on the other side in the form of Virginia, Dora and Luna. Though none of them had particularly good aim pure volume counted for a lot.

Fred and Neville's arrival moments later balanced out the crossfire once more and action became fast and furious. Had any of the participants been able to spare a moment's glance they would have seen everyone in the room standing right up at the windows with wondrous grins watching the madness. Even the painting above the fireplace was full as every figure in the house had arrived to watch. At the very back, behind the other onlookers, stood Dumbledore laughing silently to himself.

Harry was so caught up in dodging the rapid throws coming at him that he didn't notice one snowball bobbing lazily across the lawn until it clocked him in the head. After shaking the snow off he looked across the way to find his wife with a grin staring right at him while slipping her wand up her sleeve. So that's how it was going to be? Well…two could play the magic game. Slipping out his wand he pointed at the pile of balls he had packed for Ron. "Wingardium Leviosa." Every one of them rose and fanned out into line. "Take this!" With a flick they all threw themselves at the other side only to splatter a moment later off Hermione's hastily raised shield. Make that three playing the magic game.

"How about this!" Ron chucked a large snowball twice the size of a quaffle high over his wife before splitting it with a blasting spell to make it rain down in chunks. The focus however left him open as Virginia pegged him right in the chest. Stunned, he took a moment to respond. "Not bad! But wait until you see…you see… What the…?" And that was when the snowman Luna had enchanted began marching resolutely toward them.

* * *

The following morning dawned as Christmas day and true to the unwritten traditions of the house, no one really bothered to get dressed. Harry and Ginny greeted many guests over the course of the day wearing dressing gowns and everyone moved about trailed by the light swish, swish of fabric. The home was even more filled as the afternoon rolled on and more people dropped in. Fred and George, their shop closed on Christmas proper, were finally able to stay for a while and catch up with all the people they had missed during their back and forth travels.

After an excellent feast in the kitchen everyone packed around the large tree in the back sitting room as presents were passed out. Gifts given, received, welcomed and cherished we handed to and fro around the room long into the night. In the end, most of the portraits shuffled off to sleep before everyone had left. Harry and Ginny, the hosts until the end, were the last to depart and passed by each of their children's rooms as they did every Christmas. Each said a silent good night before they ascended to the third floor.

Before lying down to sleep Harry's eyes shifted to a small package sitting on the desk and he thought once more about the decision he had made after speaking to Ginny. Convinced of his choice he removed his glasses and joined his wife.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	20. Ch 19: Alive Under Ground

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 19

**Alive Under Ground**

Harry watched carefully as the snitch darted around the room and tried to anticipate its movements as it zoomed back and forth in the small space. The piece of Quiddich gear had been a gift from Ron after the snitch Harry had received in seventh year finally succumb to years of abuse and stopped cold on his desk. He heard a light knocking and for a moment though the device was hitting itself against the walls. Realizing it was still hovering in midair however he turned to the door.

"Come in." It slowly opened and James poked his head cautiously into the room. The snitch flew past him and his eyes tried to track it. They were only partly successful before returning to focus on Harry.

"Lily said you were looking for me." Harry nodded and waved the boy into the room. His hand shot out a moment later and snatched the golden ball to stop its endless flight. Setting it carefully back into a small box he gestured to a seat across the table. It took James a moment to notice as he was looking around the room and drinking in all the things he had so far only seen a couple times. His gaze lingered a long moment on a leather scabbard holding a wide hilted sword that hung from an open space in the wall. The sword of Godric Gryffindor spent its time here in the War Room now until Harry or another true Gryffindor needed it. Harry had kept it in the bedroom he shared with his wife for many years but had finally decided it belonged more appropriately here. James managed to tear his eyes away and sat across from his father with an expectant look on his face.

Harry contemplated the situation for a moment before speaking. "How are things at school?" Despite having talked of little else since his return James now found it difficult to find words.

"Uh…good. We've been learning a lot and doing a lot. And stuff." Harry nodded slowly.

"Good." He noticed uneasiness about his son that wasn't usually present. While he studied the boy he caught James' eyes flashing around the room and guessed they were stopping for a heartbeat on the multiple pictures of him during and after the various battles of his life. "Quite a lot of battles aren't there." James seemed surprised his thoughts had been read and his head snapped back to focus on his father. Still the boy was silent, merely waiting. "James…what's on your mind?" James frowned and rolled the question around in his head, obviously not quite sure how to express it.

"Uh…well… You." Harry nodded uncertainly.

"What about me?" James made a motion to the side as if the direction he was indicating was a week ago Thursday.

"After…after you picked me up from the Express, we went to help those other Aurors at the warehouse." Harry nodded and waited for James to continue. "I…I saw you fight. The others didn't realize I had slipped away for a moment but I did. And I saw you fight those other wizards." A strange look came over his face this point as if he himself wasn't sure what he thought about that.

"And?" Now he looked slightly forlorn and spoke with the barest hint of fear in his voice.

"And…it wasn't you." Harry was confused, not quite sure what his son was saying.

"It wasn't…me?" The boy shook his head. "I…I don't understand. Was it the dust or…?" James shook his head more vigorously.

"It was your body but it wasn't…you." He held up his hands pleadingly, clearly unable to express it better. "I…I've seen you angry or when you argue with mum. You're different but you're still you. At the warehouse… It was someone else." Harry took several long moments to consider what James had said. He had heard from Ron and Hermione that he changed during intense fights but not that he was a completely different person. He found it a little distressing.

"And…after? When I came back and we went to the Ministry?"

"That…that was you again." Harry considered what his son had said for a long moment.

"It's part of what I do James, part of my job. I fight so other people don't have to. You read Hermione's book and talked to us about it. You know what I've done." James nodded.

"I know. It's just…" He paused for a long moment trying to find the words. "Reading about it is one thing. Seeing it…" Searching his own memories Harry tried to think back to the first time he had witnessed a magical battle and how it had differed from his impressions about it prior. He found himself going far back indeed to find a time before he had witnessed the power of a magical conflict personally.

"I think I understand." Seeing a still lost look in his son's eyes he gestured to the lower floors. "Have you talked to anyone else about it?"

"I…didn't know if I should. Or could."

"It might help you sort out your own mind. If not me or your mother then one of your friends. Good friends can be a great help when you're confused. Gideon and Mary are both here as are Rose and your sister." Mary's continued presence had been something of a surprise. After most of the guests had drifted back to their homes Mary had asked her mother and Harry if she could stay a couple days longer. Both had consented, her mother only after being promised the last few days to spend with her at home. Virginia herself had declined a further invitation and sited a need to return to work. She also had a list of people who desired recipes for the various treats she had brought to deal with.

"I suppose…" James looked undecided but with something resembling a plan of action he was willing to let the matter rest. After a few moments he looked up to his father with renewed curiosity. "Was there something else?" Harry took a moment to nod needing to reorganize his train of thought.

"Yes. This." Reaching to the side he pulled a small bundle wrapped with brown paper and string and set it between them. James' eyes locked on the parcel and stared at it, not at all sure what it might be. "After talking to your mother at length and a good deal of consultation with others," including he didn't mention the portrait of Dumbledore in the entryway, "I have decided to pass this onto to you as it was passed to me." Now truly intrigued James' eyes widened as he tried to imagine what was inside. "I didn't want to give it to you at Christmas for obvious reasons but your mother and I agree that your first holiday break is as good a time as any. So, here you go James, one of the heirlooms of our family. And, as was said when I received it…use it well." Pushing the parcel across the table he watched as James rose to his feet and untied the strings with unsteady hands.

Slowly he pulled the paper aside and beheld what was inside. First with a questioning glance and then, as he picked it up, widening eyes and pure awe. "No…way." Flicking it out like a sheet he wrapped it around himself before looking up to his father in shock. "Your…invisibility cloak!?" Harry nodded firmly. This hadn't been a decision he'd come to lightly but after much thought he chose to pass the cloak down the line. He had a couple other things that would pass to the other children on their first years though Ginny was still less than enthused by his idea. She had consented to this only after one long and truly outrageous begging session.

"Keep it safe. One day it will be your duty to pass it along as I've passed it to you." With some sense of such a charge and solemn duty James removed the cloak, carefully folded it up, rewrapped it and looked to his father.

"Thank you." Harry rose and hugged his son firmly, a gesture which James didn't hesitate to return, before jerking his head toward the door.

"Now… I imagine you'd like to be elsewhere. Christmas break is wasting away after all." James nodded quickly before turning and bolting out the door. Harry watched him go with a small smile on his face before turning to look around the room. His eyes fell on the sword hanging there. Crossing the distance he took up the belt, scabbard and blade. As he drew it all the light in the room gathered to reflect off the mirror sheen of the metal. It was part of the forging that in the thousand years since its creation it had never dimmed, never dulled, never rusted and never tarnished.

Harry had possessed the weapon for merely two decades, a drop in the ocean of time since its forging. And some day, he thought as he returned it to its place on the wall, it would be his duty to pass the sword on as well. Another would call for help and the blade would go to them to once more be wielded by a true Gryffindor.

Looking once more over the room Harry turned and headed out, extinguishing the lamps as he left.

* * *

As the days passed the last of their guests slowly departed back to their own homes, quite an adventure for Mary whom Ginny apparated to her mother's apartment, and by New Year's Eve the Potter clan once more had the house to themselves. James had been in better spirits the last few days though if that was because of his father's present, finally talking to his friends or his pending return to Hogwarts was anybodies guess.

The day to return on the express seemed never to arrive and was suddenly on top of them. Gathering the family up and piling into the ministry car was met with less fanfare that at the start of the year and Lily even managed to look a little bored by it all. With the knowledge of his destination in mind James didn't falter upon entering King's Cross and firmly led the rest of his family through the station and ultimately through the wall onto Platform 9 ¾.

Reunions, in some cases after only a couple days, were this time perfunctory and everything had less a feeling of a drawn out goodbye and more of anxiousness to get on with it. Even after meeting up with Gideon James dutifully waited near the red brick wall until Mary, who had to say goodbye to her mother on the other side this time, appeared and offered to take her trunk the eight feet to a porter. Harry couldn't decide if his son had a massive crush, was merely being overly helpful to a friend or was being guided by some other driving force. He might have to ask Ginny for her opinion.

Once more hugging James and handing him a small purse of spending money (he had been surprised to find the boy still had much of the first term's allowance left) Harry watched him ascend the stairs before joining the other parents and relations to wave goodbye.

"Do you ever think about how much fun it would be to go back?" Harry glanced over to Ginny who was standing next to him and watching the train disappear. "Those times between us almost getting killed were unbelievably fun. Wouldn't it be great to go back…especially if we knew all we do now?" She looked at him with a charming, whimsical expression. He blinked a few times before shrugging.

"And go through being a teenager again? Not knowing from one week to the next how tall you were going to be, if your voice was going to be alto or bass and wondering where the next pimple was going to pop out? I'll stay here thanks. Besides, that sounds like some crazy story you'd see written on the back of a magazine that starts with broken time turners." She stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"Have it your way. Maybe this time I'll go after Neville instead. He has grown into quite the man after all." Harry cocked an eyebrow that mirrored the curve of his lips.

"If you're just going to start talking madness I'll have to commit you to St. Mungo's."

"You and what army Potter? Do you think-"

"Harry!" Harry turned as he recognized Ron's voice to meet the man as he ran up waving a piece of parchment that kept trying to roll itself up.

"What is it?"

"Message from the Ministry." He glanced around and lowered his voice to not be overheard. "There's been another attack and we need to check it out." Harry turned to apologize to Ginny but she already had a hand raised to fend it off.

"Go. Duty calls." Harry smiled and kissed her lightly.

"Love you. See you at home."

"Love you too." Joining Ron, Harry began quickly striding down the platform before disappearing in mid step.

Appearing a moment later at the Ministry they took barely two minutes to collect a few things they might need, switch into official looking muggle clothes and get the address of the attack. Hurrying back down to the lobby they once more turned in mid stride and disappeared.

Their arrival in a dusty alley was of concern only to a pair of cats that were searching through the scraps for something to eat. Even they, being the world weary variety of London, merely glanced up before going about their search. Jerking his head toward the street Harry led the way out from between the large buildings.

Emerging into the late city morning they glanced around and found their destination. A lone police officer was standing at the top of a flight of stairs that descended into the earth fending off several people as they tried to pass or duck under the yellow tape that ran across the stairwell.

Taking advantage of the man's distraction Harry took a moment to study him as they approached. "Burton! Keep them back." The man looked over to them with a start. They could clearly see him trying to place two men who knew his name and whom he should clearly recognize in his memories. Failing that he fell back to instinct.

"Of course, sir." Harry held up his muggle badge as he stopped in front of the officer.

"What's going on, Burton?" The man shook himself still clearly unable to place them.

"Well, Inspector…it appears to be mugging gone wrong. A man was accosted near the train and nearly pushed onto the tracks. The attacker escaped but several witnesses are being held below along with the victim. He's apparently gone into shock and won't speak." Harry nodded in a thoughtful way and inclined his head toward the tape.

"Keep guard. We're going down." The man nodded and raised the tape for them to pass under. As he went he heard several people complaining about missing their connection to such and such a place. Harry put it out of his mind as he descended from the daylight into the subterranean world of the London Underground.

Reaching the platform they glanced around and noticed three distinct groups of people. One was obviously the aforementioned witnesses all being herded together by several officers until their statements could be taken. Second was a knot of official looking muggles looking this way and that and audibly decrying this the 'damnedest thing they'd ever seen'. Finally, and smallest, were a physician of some type, one plainclothes Inspector and their charge. The charge was a middle aged man smartly dressed in a dark grey suit, black overcoat and bowler hat. At present he was content to sit against the wall and stare into the middle distance as the doctor fiddled with various things checking his health.

Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder and pointed to the onlookers. "Might as well start with the witnesses." Harry nodded and followed his partner over. After a thorough examination of their credentials the officers began allowing them to take brief statements from each of them which Harry and Ron duly noted in small books made for just such a reason. Multiple times Ron had a bit of trouble with the muggle pen used, as he was, to a quill and ink.

They had just finished their preliminary questions when the other, or really the, inspector came over to greet them. "Good morning gentlemen." Unlike the officers this man was clearly suspicious of both of them and not sure what they were about.

"Morning."

"I must say I'm surprised to see you here. I was told I would be the only inspector on this scene. Seems three inspectors to investigate a mugging are a bit much." He glanced between them clearly waiting for an explanation. Ron held up his badge and stepped forward.

"I agree with you completely sir. However my colleague and I happened to be going past on another errand when we saw the scene and thought we might be able to assist or, if no one had arrived, begin the investigation." The man glanced between them, evidently not convinced.

"Very convenient that two Inspectors would be in the neighborhood at the same time. Might I inquire what you were doing in this part of town?" It was Harry who stepped up now, also showing his badge.

"That was my fault. I was looking for a present for my wife and heard there were some wonderful shops down here. My friend here came along as he is often a better judge of these things than I am." The man nodded slowly finding the story plausible before attacking once more.

"I haven't seen you around before. How long did you say you've been working for the Yard?" Ron shook his head.

"We don't." The man seemed ready to raise an accusatory finger at having discovered a falsehood. "We just arrived from Newcastle. We're on business from there regarding another case we've been investigating. I'm Inspector Weasley and this is Inspector Potter. Pleased to meet you Inspector…?"

"Willoughby." He then at last seemed to relax and take measure of them. What his judgment might finally be they had no idea but he stopped staring at them and glanced toward the witnesses. "You've already talked to them?" Harry nodded.

"We have done preliminary interviews. Incoherent and jumbled as most witnesses are but with a few points in agreement. Would you care to look over the notes?" Harry offered a small book before the man shook his head.

"Perhaps later. I'd like to speak to them myself at present. If you like you may 'interview' the victim. I'd be much thankful if you could discover something about him." Stepping around them the man started for the group of witnesses. At that moment a train roared past and filled the platform with a momentary gust. Several people turned from it or shielded their eyes but the man at the wall made no move to do either.

Arriving near his seated form the pair crouched and looked him over. He seemed just as well dressed up close as he had from a distance and his general appearance was well kempt. At this range however there was one striking feature that could not be ignored. Instead of the life that should have been in him he seemed now a shell of a man with a blank, empty face that framed his vacant eyes. Glancing once to each other the men nodded immediately.

"I've tried everything I can think of to rouse him. He's the picture of health but his mind seems to have gone. It's…distressing." Harry glanced over to find the doctor shiver slightly before rising with his tools. Harry thought 'distressing' was something of an understatement for someone who seemed to have had their soul removed. Ignoring the doctor he motioned to the officer charged with guarding him.

"Have you been able to identify him?" The officer also crouched as he shook his head, his gaze carefully avoiding the lifeless face.

"No sir. He had no identification and only a few trinkets on hand. They are here." Holding up a wide, flat box the man gestured inside. Harry glanced within to find what he half expected. A long stick, several coins no muggle had struck and an ornate pocket watch. There was also some muggle currency and a small date book. Flipping through the pages Harry found much of it to be the most general trivialities. If there was information here it was concealed or in code. "The Inspector doesn't believe he's a vagabond but it seems odd his wallet would have been taken but all this money and these rare old coins would be left behind. Don't you agree?" Ron nodded as all three rose.

"Quite. Thank you." Stepping away from the man Harry gestured to the stairway. As they began to ascend they heard the Willoughby's voice call to them. Ron turned to respond. "Breath of fresh air. Back in a moment. Reaching the top of the entrance they found exactly what they expected. A dozen Ministry officials were standing around and awaiting his word. The officer and gathered onlookers lay on the ground asleep and wide muggle repellent charms had been erected. Harry stepped up to the witch at the forefront, a tall woman in handsomely cut robes whose name he couldn't recall at the moment.

"Go. Make it a missed train or something. Easy enough to believe. Be quick, be gentle and get the victim to St. Mungo's." The witch hesitated before nodding apparently not used to this directness. Harry himself realized he was being rather curt but in truth his mind was on other matters.

This attack had taken place in broad daylight in front of witnesses. That kind of escalation in a serial crime only meant one of two things. Either the assailant was getting more arrogant and believed themselves safe even under such circumstances, or they were getting more desperate and no longer cared. Neither of these was a good thing and either way it meant the tempo of the hunt had been irrevocably quickened.

Leading Ron on, he walked away from the scene for several blocks, a strong desire for distance pervading him. Finally finding a small park and an unoccupied bench he sat down. Ron fell in bedside him a moment later. After several seconds they both pulled out their notebooks and began glancing over their notes. After a minute of this Ron shook his head. "Do any of yours agree with each other?' Harry glanced at his friend before shaking his head. "Mine neither. What do you have?" Harry ran a finger down the pages.

"Well…according to the descriptions of the assailant he or she was 'over two meters, thin and lanky, with short cut brown hair the hung down past their shoulder and faded from blue to red while standing a shoulder shorter than a elderly woman and possessing the physique of bodybuilder. They were also a teen-age girl with blond hair, an extremely old man with only one leg and a bald dwarf.'" Harry glanced over and gestured with his chin toward the book Ron held.

"Well that matches up nicely with my 'bespectacled red haired housewife with the dark brown skin, rugby player's build wearing the blue and white striped socks with the miniskirt. He was also just over a meter tall, could have lifted a stone bench, looked frail enough to be crushed by a feather, was a Spanish woman with long black hair and an athletic build and a young schoolboy in uniform who also looked kind of like the Prime Minister from a few years back, you know the one'." He snapped the book shut and let out a long sigh. "Well…that was helpful."

"Did you at least get a consistent description of the attack?" Ron shrugged.

"Only a couple people I talked to claim to have seen it. They both said the assailant stepped out of the crowd near the victim, tapped his shoulder so he would turn around and then grabbed his lapels and…" Harry gestured for Ron to continue.

"And what?"

"And…kissed him. One of the witnesses claimed they heard a very faint scream when it happened. A moment later everyone's attention was drawn as the man fell toward the tracks and a train was approaching. He was pulled to safety just in time. In the confusion the assailant escaped back through the crowd and up the stairs." Harry considered it a moment before nodding slowly.

"Same thing I heard." They both sat in silence for some minutes mulling the problem over in their own minds. There had been many consistencies with the way the other attacks might have happened, but a good deal of it was just plain weird.

"Could it have been a disguised Dementor?" Harry was startled as Ron had spoken out of complete silence.

"What?"

"Could someone with the power to control a Dementor, the same person who sent them to that muggle school last year, have cast a charm to make them appear as any number of people and seek out one specific target?" Harry rolled the idea around in his head for several moments.

"Possibly. But the witnesses said the attacker spoke to the man. Can a Dementor speak?" Ron shrugged.

"I have no idea. Did anyone say they felt unusually cold? Or fearful?" Both paged rapidly through their notebooks for a minute. "Nothing here. You?"

"Me neither. But it is a cold day. They might just not have noticed." Ron nodded to concede the point.

"I thought with witnesses and everything we'd have a better idea what we're after, or who we're after. It seems we're no closer to the truth than we were this morning. Perhaps there is something about the man that tells us more."

"Let's hope so."

"Sirs!" They both turned as a young man ran up to them and stopped a few meters away out of breath. They both waited as he caught a second wind and closed the distance. "Miss Silveri sent me to find you. They know who the man is." Ron gestured for the man to continue. "Right. His name is Richard Adelus. He's from Cardiff and it seems he was in town visiting relatives over the holidays. We've contacted his local family members and they're on the way to meet him at St. Mungo's." Both Aurors nodded thankfully for the information.

"And how did they know who he was?"

"One of the fellows with us from Memory Modification used to work for him in Cardiff before moving to London. He recognized Adelus immediately."

"Thank Miss Silveri for us." He turned to Ron. "Looks like we need to head back to the office. Thank you." The last was addressed to the man who smiled, took his leave and dashed back the way he had come. "So…were they waiting for the victim to come to London…or was it luck?" Ron shook his head.

"You always think of the most cheerful things."

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	21. Ch 20: Hunting the Hunter

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 20

**Hunting the Hunter**

Wracking their brains for the entire day had proved fruitless so the pair of Aurors fell back on the one tried and true method they had come to rely on when they got stuck. Shooting out the fireplace in Ron's house Harry was almost immediately embraced by Hermione. Before he could form a greeting however she had broken away at the arrival of her husband. As the couple shared a light kiss Harry glanced over the room and felt his lips turn up into a smile. On a side table there sat a small flask of potion with several ingredients atop a chemistry textbook. The strange juxtapositions in the house never failed to make him chuckle.

"So…what brings you here Harry?" He turned to find Hermione watching him and waiting for a reply. He pulled a file from his robes as he spoke.

"This. There was another attack, which I'm sure Ron mentioned," she nodded he had. "And we thought you might want to take a look." He handed it over as she disengaged from Ron.

"Certainly. Come on." Opening the folder, she began paging through it as she led them to the back of the house and the small sitting room that resided there. Dropping slowly into one of the chairs she continued flipping through pages as Harry and Ron each found seats. Hermione's brow furrowed as she turned back and forth amongst the report carefully pulling out all of the relevant and likely many of the irrelevant facts it contained. A glance to the side told Harry that Ron was grinning ever so slightly. He had always thought his wife's expression at these moments particularly attractive.

With a quick riffle to make sure she hadn't missed anything the woman closed the file and set it aside. She leaned back into the chair and her eyes slowly rose to contemplate the ceiling, tracing random lines across the ornate patterns. Harry very carefully schooled himself to patience. He needed to wait until she had worked through it. After several minutes her head finally came back down and her gaze fixed on them.

"Does Mr. Adelus have any descendents in London?" Harry and Ron glanced at each other in confusion. Neither could even begin to surmise where that question had come from. Harry was the first to get over his shock and speak.

"I…I don't know. I can owl the Ministry and find out."

"Good. Go ahead. That may provide a crucial part of the puzzle."

"May I ask exactly why it's relevant?"

"After you send the owl. Trust me, this will be worth it." Harry shrugged as he rose and stepped quickly toward the kitchen. With any luck a couple of employees from Records would still be in the building. Reaching the kitchen he stepped past the small cauldron and stand mixer to the message center. Hermione always liked to keep things neat and this was no exception. A stack of blank parchment sheets sat next to a pile of envelopes right next to the window.

Writing out a quick message he folded it carefully, stuffed it into a waiting envelope and sealed it with a tap of his wand. As the address wrote itself across the front he looked around for a messenger. A small nervous looking owl with golden brown feathers had arrived at the slightly open window apparently having heard the scratch of quill on parchment. Harry recognized it immediately as Snitchwidgen, a descendent of Ron's first owl. The bird's head cranked to the side for the moment as if trying to see the address before bounding a few inches closer. Handing the envelope to the owl's beak Harry instinctively scratched it behind the ears, something it seemed to approve of. "Thank you. Return quick as you can." With a muffled hoot and a small bob of the head the bird bounded into the air.

Harry watched it flutter toward the horizon and out of sight before turning and heading back to the study. He never reached his destination though as he met the Weasleys in the hall. With a gesture from Hermione he fell in. "Message sent. Now, what's this all about?" Hermione raised her hand for patience as she led the way.

"In a moment." With a few more steps they reached Hermione's laboratory. As they entered a tap of Hermione's wand caused the jumper and skirt she was wearing to shift and change into a pair of pants, blouse and long white lab coat. A second flick gathered up her hair and bound it into a pony tail out of the way. A slight grin was once more playing across Ron's lips.

Harry glanced around and could see things had changed a little since he was last here. Several of the projects that had been in progress were either gone or pushed aside. In their place was a wide variety of reference material and notepads. Against the back wall was a case board that made the one in their office look woefully incomplete. The board here contained all the attacks in the Americas as well as the more recent once, full notes written in Hermione's own peculiar shorthand and far more detailed information than they had thought necessary. The side tables contained several stacks of books covering such diverse topics as concrete construction and magical laws for transatlantic air travel. The main table in the center of the room was covered in once massive piece of parchment that managed to hang off all four corners and was covered in lines linking small boxes each of which contained one or two words in Hermione's tight script. Clearly, she had been busy,

Hermione gestured to a pair of stools that sat on one side of the table and rounded to the far side to face them. As Harry sat he glanced at the stack of books nearest him. They appeared to be works about magical lineage and ancestry with specific focus on the United States. A glance to the side found a similar stack only this time focused on Wales. Ron's eyes followed his before settling on his wife.

"Okay…I didn't ask before, but Hermione…what is all this?" Taking a moment to flick her wand and stack the books off on a side table so they could view the entire parchment she leaned toward them.

"This Ronald is the closest thing I've been able to find to a connection between all the attacks you've recorded." Harry looked over the parchment once more. If there was a pattern here he couldn't see it. It looked more like a labyrinth than anything else. He could see Ron's similar confusion out of the corner of his eye.

"Hermione…forgive me for being slow but…what is it? I see names…hundreds of them and lines connecting them, but unless this is some sort of…what?" His eyes had risen to her and found the look that always said he had missed something obvious.

"Here. I'll give you two a hint." She waved her wand a they noticed a couple of the names to the right side near their edge of the parchment turn to a glowing red. Looking closer they found their own names staring back. After glancing quickly at Ron Harry looked along the lines radiating from his name. One lead directly to Ginny Weasley. Between them another line led down and broke into five separate paths. Each of them ended in a box containing the name of one of his children with the fifth left blank. Something was trying to click into place about all of this but it wasn't quite there yet. Tracing the other direction he found a line leading up to the names of his parents and from them his grandparents before the lines on his mother's side stopped. All at once it clicked.

"This is-"

"Our family tree!" Ron burst out. Harry nodded as he too understood and then slowly looked back down. His eyes drifted right, left and up. The shear number of names involved soon began to make an impression on the back of his head.

"But this…this isn't just our families… This is…"

"Everybody," Hermione finished for him. She gestured to the books that had stacked themselves to the side. "Every single magical person I've been able to find is on here along with their ancestry as far back as I can trace. Many fade out in five or six hundred years though I've managed to trace a couple back to before the founders of Hogwarts." Harry could only stare slack jawed at her while Ron beamed at his wife's accomplishment.

"This is incredible! Only you could possibly manage this." Harry could only nod in agreement as she smiled at her husband's compliments. "So…how does it help?" Taking a moment to refocus she looked back down.

"I think I may have found a connection. Look." A quick tap of the map caused Harry and Ron's names to fade back to normal black script while a second tap caused several others to begin glowing red instead. Harry's eyes bounced from one to the other.

"These are all of the victims. The victims we know about at least." Hermione nodded.

"Now look carefully. Notice anything peculiar?" Harry started on the left, the American victims. Beginning at the name his eyes traced upward for a ways but found no connection. The second also found no connection. He continued on but failed to track any of them to a common ancestor that history hadn't forgotten. Eventually Harry shook his head.

"They don't connect anywhere in their ancestry. Anything over there?" He glanced to Ron who had started on the other side of the parchment.

"Nope. No common ancestors here either. So what's the deal?" Hermione indicated the far edge of the paper with her chin.

"Try the other way." Harry shrugged as he started again, this time seeking common descendents. The first person he tried…well…that was odd. They didn't have any children. Shrugging, he moved onto the second name. Weird, not a single line heading down. Perhaps the third. No…no children here either. "Found it yet?" Ron's head slowly rose.

"They don't have any kids."

"Exactly." Harry looked up, confusion apparent on his face.

"So…our attacker is only targeting people…without children?"

"Partially. Not only are they childless, they appear to be the last of their family line." The pair sat back down on their stools as she pointed between the names. "Each and every one of the victims is part of the youngest generation of their bloodline. And not only that, most of them are also a member of the youngest generation of several bloodlines. You know how many pure blood Wizarding families marry amongst themselves?" The pair nodded, neither sure where this was going. "Well, that means that at this point someone can carry the blood of several or even a majority of the more well known Wizarding families. Look here." She pointed in quick succession to the American victims. As she did so their lines traced back to a point where the entire American magical community seemed to split off from the British one. About…500 years ago. She pointed at that moment.

"Right here was the first mass emigration of magical families to the new world. And you can see how the few dozen families intermarried over the following centuries." Harry nodded as he followed the family lines of those first families and the others that had joined them or appeared over the intervening decades. "In fact, and this is the relevant point, every single major blood line in the Americas and many of the minor ones can be accounted for in just a handful of witches and wizards." Harry's eyes rose slowly.

"Don't tell me…" Hermione nodded slowly in confirmation.

"The people who were attacked in America represent the ancestral legacy of American magical society." The pair could do nothing but stare for several long moments as the implications worked through their minds. Finally Ron managed to speak.

"But…that's insane! Who would go to all the trouble of working that out and why? It's not like they could destroy magical society. These families have other lines. You'd have to wipe out most of the magical community to get rid of them all and clearly that wasn't the plan." Hermione could only shrug in response.

"I don't know. It doesn't make sense to me either but this is the strongest connection I've been able to find and if the pattern holds true I believe we're on to something." Harry waved it off.

"You mean you're onto something. Neither of us could have managed this. You truly are incredible Hermione." She smiled broadly at the compliment. "So…now that we have this pattern, what can we do with it? Clearly it's too late to help the Americans, but can we do something here?"

"Possibly. I haven't been able to trace Magical bloodlines here as clearly due both to time and secrecy but I think I still have a fairly solid picture. Look." Sliding the parchment to the side she brought the United Kingdom portion to the center of the table. "I've taken the victims and traced back a few hundred years. Assuming our attacker is based in America-"

"Fair considering that's where the attacks started."

"Exactly. Assuming that, then the last four centuries worth of record is about all they could get with out raising interest at the Ministry which I would have found during my own investigation. So, taking that timeframe and the victims we know of I've managed to strip away all of the bloodlines they would account for." With a tap of her wand those leading up from the victims faded into a light grey. "Then I trimmed off all the lines that have ended already." Several more faded out and as Harry rose from his chair he could just make out a few as being that of Death Eaters. "I thought you'd want to see the grand reveal yourselves." Harry leaned down close to the names, an arm propping him up on the table. "Here we go. All of the remaining bloodlines can be accounted for in these people." With a complicated set of motions she finally tapped the page and caused most of the names to fade out.

Looking over it Harry could see six…seven…eight names that still remained black. A scratching sound of a quill alerted to him to Ron who had already begun copying the names down on a blank piece of paper. As he did so he made a couple small comments. "Silvesrti? Better warn her right away. Beaknupple? Isn't that the guy in Diagon Alley?" The shear scope of the research and planning this must have taken began to weigh down on Harry's thoughts. Clearly someone had a grand scheme in the works. Now if only they could understand what it was. As Ron finished copying the names Harry looked up at the woman.

"Any idea where they'll strike first?"

"Not for certain. Adelus was a good target; he incorporated dozens of family lines. The best secondary choices are McMurta and Vance. They each have strong ties to several powerful families." She tapped the parchment again and all of the names returned to their previous state. "Though we still don't know why they're being targeted." Harry pushed himself back to a standing position and glanced over the chart.

"We can figure that out after we've caught this son of a bitch." Ron nodded as he glanced over the list.

"Any idea how we do that? And what to do now that we have this list?" Harry let out a long breath.

"What I'd like to do is bring them all in, put them under protective custody in the Ministry and keep them as safe as possible. Unfortunately that would tip our hand and cost us what little advantage we've got. So at the moment, no I don't have an idea. But I will by tomorrow morning." Hermione's hair and clothes returned to their original state as she rounded the table and gently clasped her husband's hand.

"Well, for the moment, would you like some coffee? Or tea?" Harry nodded slowly as he half turned.

"That sound's like a really good idea." Several minutes later as they stood around the kitchen enjoying their beverages Snitchwidgen shot through the open window and circled around the room several times before slowing enough to drop the envelope in Harry's hands. Opening it slowly he read over the brief response. Hermione's eyes traced the envelope as he lowered it.

"Well?"

"You were right. Richard Adelus was the last of his family line."

"So now you two really do need to come up with a plan." Harry and Ron glanced at each other before nodding in unison.

* * *

"The only reason I won't say this is the craziest plan I've ever heard is because I've lived through the Second War." Arthur Weasley looked up from his desk with a mix of mirth and disbelief as Ron and Harry stood side by side in front of him. "Run it by me one more time." Harry gestured to the list once more.

"It's simple sir. We've identified these eight people as the most likely targets for the next attack. So we detail a team of Aurors to keep a covert eye on each of them and if they are attacked, the team can step in and capture our suspect." Arthur leaned back and stared at them for a good long time.

"And if this all turns out to be a fool's mission?"

"Chalk it up to field training for some of the corps. It's not like they couldn't use it."

"True. I have the Aurors to spare. But what about these two you pointed out? The most likely targets. I can't imagine you'd offer to let a pair of junior Aurors keep an eye on them." Harry was mostly successful in keeping a grin off his face.

"No sir. Mr. Weasley and I would like to be assigned to Jane Vance. And as files indicate Victor McMurta spends much of his time in the muggle world I also have a suggestion for their protection detail." Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"Would this suggestion consist of two Americans? One of whom is a muggle herself?" Harry nodded firmly. "I can't say I like leaving one of our prime targets in the hands of a pair who aren't even associated with the Ministry."

"It's not my first choice either sir but Mr. Keystone can out fight any ten Aurors I've ever met and they'll blend into the muggle world far better that anyone else in the corps, including myself, possible could." Arthur nodded slowly.

"Very well. I'll draw up the orders and detail shifts today. We'll have them in place by this evening. Dismissed."

"Thank you sir,"

"Thank you." Arthur nodded again as the pair turned and headed from the office.

* * *

"You had better be careful." Harry glanced up from the small duffle bag he was packing to the figure of his wife, arms crossed, eyes set, leaning against the door to the hallway. His first shift on protection detail started in a couple hours and he needed to be ready. She hadn't been exactly thrilled to find out about his plan. Though they had done their share of strange and potentially dangerous things, she often tried to see their lives as more settled now.

Setting the clothes he had been packing aside he crossed the distance to her and stared deeply into her eyes becoming momentarily lost in their sheen. "Of course. I'll be fine."

"You had better be." She stared up into his eyes for a moment before he turned and began packing once more. "I know it's your job but…"

"But?" She glanced to the side while letting out a short breath.

"But I still worry." Her eyes returned to his face and found a small smile forming on his lips. His eyebrows rose a little.

"So do I. But I've got Ron and Hermione to watch my back. They've never let me down." He stuffed a couple last things into the bag and zipped it shut. "What about you? Are you going to be okay?" After a long moment's thought she nodded slowly.

"I'll get by. So will the kids." Picking up his bag he checked his coat pockets one more time before rounding the bed and closing the distance to her. Reaching up slowly he ran a finger down her cheek. After a moment it it continued down her side and turned so he could place his hand lightly against her stomach. A strength of conviction entered his words.

"I will be back. Soon as I can. And if you need me for anything, just owl. Okay?" She moved into his hand a little as it rounded to her side before nodding. "Good. I love you."

"Love you too." Leaning down he planted a firm kiss on her lips.

* * *

"Three days. Three boring days. Three…long…days…we've been at this and…nothing." Ron spoke as he stared at the ceiling and turned in lazy circles on the chair nearest the window. His summary was accurate. Three days they'd be watching Jane Vance and so far nothing out of the ordinary had happened. It had taken most of their skills not to be noticed but years of practice and Hermione's magnificent skills ahd paid off. For better or worse the woman lived a fairly dull life writing from home for a small publication and only going out once or twice a day. The furthest she had gone was a specialty paper store ten blocks down the road. Other than that most of their time had been spent in the flat they had rented across the street keeping an eye on her home. It was a decent sized flat on the fourth floor of an older building that probably dated to just after the great fire. Harry looked up from the desk where he had been working.

"This is a protection detail Ron. Boring is good. Besides, Hermione will be back from the store in a few minutes and you can try to break that locking charm she created." Ron's head lolled to the side before rolling back up to the ceiling.

"I guess…" Harry's eyes rose to the window before him once more and glanced over their target. Miss Vance was still sitting near the window reading. She turned a page every counple minutes or glanced down to the street. Harry knew the wards he and Ron had erected some time ago would alert them to anything out of the ordinary, but he still trusted his eyes more. The streetlights were slowly coming on as the sun set and cast the city into deep shadows. Harry continued his occasional glances until the door opened and a woman with blond hair and bright blue eyes strode in with a shopping bag in one hand.

As the door closed and bolted itself the charm melted away to reveal Hermione looking around the room. "Ronald, stop sitting like that or you'll mess up you neck." Reluctantly Ron pulled his head forward and spun around to face her. "Better." He rolled his eyes until they fell on the bag.

"So, what's for dinner?" Hermione shook her head as she set the bag on the small table in the center of the room.

"Why is it I'm still surprised that you always jump right to the food?" Ron shrugged and wheeled the chair closer.

"My incredible good looks drive all other thoughts from your mind?" She nearly rolled her eyes before they rose in a thoughtful expression.

"Well…"

"Other person in the room, you can stop right there." Hermione glanced at Harry before shrugging. "So, what is for dinner?" She continued pulling things out of the bag.

"Nothing exciting I'm afraid. Spaghetti, chicken al fredo, breadsticks. There was a Mexican place open but the thought of that much spice didn't really sound to good."

"Really? That's weird. 'Cause you always like to spice things up-"

"That's quite enough Ronald." Her sharp glare snapped his mouth shut though it couldn't wipe away the grin. As Harry rose from his chair he glanced down at a car coming to a stop across the street. A small lit sign sat on the roof advertising a restaurant. A young woman stepped out carrying an insulated bag.

"Hm. Looks like someone is having pizza for dinner. How about that for tomorrow?" He glanced back at the other two as Hermione finished unpacking and stepped closer. She watched as Harry headed for the table to see what was available.

"Pizza sounds good. Haven't had any in a while. Huh. Looks like that's what Miss Vance is having." Harry glanced at the hot containers Ron was uncovering as he responded.

"Really?"

"Yep. Just got up to answer the call button and…yep. She's buzzing him up." Harry glanced between his choices. White sauce? Red sauce? Both? "Makes you wonder if she orders just for the eye candy. Delivery guys don't usually look like that." Harry glanced back as he pulled a meatball out of one of the containers.

"Hermione, stop staring at the guy and get over here. She's having dinner, so are we." He stopped mid motion while grabbing a breadstick. Something wasn't right. A moment later his thoughts began to connect. "Hermione…did you say delivery _guy_?"

"Yeah. So?" Harry dropped the breadstick on the table, his hand already reaching for his wand. Ron instinctively matched the motion though he was unsure why.

"Because a woman got out of that car!" Rushing to the window he stared across the space into Jane Vance's apartment. She had risen and headed to the door. "No…" As she opened it the delivery girl, a youngish person with short blond hair dropped the pizza box and shoved into the room slamming the door behind her. Harry could feel alarm bells going off in his head, not just his instincts but wards he had placed on the woman's apartment. A small stick flew across the room from where Jane had been reading into her outstretched hand. Her other hand was already being knocked away by the furious assault of the other woman. "Ron!" Not waiting he turned on the spot and vanished.

As Harry appeared across the street he was instantly aware of three things. First was the unearthly cold he felt within the flat. Second was the pervading sense of fear that it still took his well trained reflexes a moment to put down. Finally was the fact that even in the moment it had taken him to arrive the fight was already over. The delivery man had Vance's stunned frame by the lapels and was pulling her closer.

The man's eyes turned sharply to stare at Harry. In one blurred motion he spun the woman around to use as a shield and drew a wand from up his left sleeve. "Ministry Auror! Drop your wand!" Harry heard himself shout the command almost by instinct as he raised a shield to defend himself. It wasn't a moment too soon as a stunning spell crashed against it with surprising power. Countering with his own attack Harry stepped to the side trying desperately to get a clear shot.

The pop to his left signaling Ron's arrival gave him just enough of an opening to target the man's arm with a precise stunning spell. As it connected he involuntarily dropped Jane to the ground. Using the falling woman for cover he spun back and ducked behind the nearby kitchen counter. "Ministry Aurors Miss! Drop the wand and come out with your hands up!" Ron's command was greeted with a barrage of spells that tore apart the wall above their crouching forms.

Glancing over to his partner Harry quickly motioned to the sides of the room and indicated a flanking attack. Ron nodded sharply and began edging closer to the wall. Harry rose slightly and launched his own attacks trying to drive the assailant toward Ron's side of the flat. A moment later a young boy rose from behind the counter with his hands up. Harry hesitated for a heartbeat. "Step around the counter and-" The boy aimed a suddenly retrieved wand and Harry just avoided the crashing hex. Cursing himself for his foolishness Harry grunted fiercely. "Okay. Enough of this." Another pop near Ron's position belatedly indicated Hermione's arrival. Though he felt momentary anger she had followed without asking he was also thankful for the help.

Counting off the split seconds he rose as the boy once more appeared to attack the new arrival and cast one of his stronger counter charms. Surprised at the attack the boy reeled for a moment and stepped back. With a sound like distantly shattering glass the boy's form cracked, split and then exploded into a thousand figments before falling away and melting into the ether.

In their place now stood the form of a woman just under six feet tall with long black hair, bronzed skin, a lithe build and black eyes that seemed to drink in the light near them dimming even the surrounding whites. Dressed in a tight fitting jumpsuit she shook visibly with rage and Harry could feel magical energy radiating from her. The cold and cloying fear he had felt on his arrival now seemed to magnify and if took every shred of his focus not to reflexively summon his patronus to his side. Out of the corner of his eye he could just make out Hermione inching backward.

With an inhuman scream that seemed to strike at his very soul the woman jabbed her wand out and fired a torrent of pure destructive energy at him. Harry raised his shield quickly but was forced to dodge as it almost immediately collapsed under the assault. In turn she drove Ron and Hermione back as well. Massive pile of ash and char now sat where parts of the flat had previously been.

Harry was on his feet a moment later and attempted a counter assault. Taking his blows in turn she barely registered stunning spells that would drop a horse. Soon Ron joined in and had little more luck. Hermione was trying some more subtle and intricate attacks but so far meeting with no more success. The woman was lightning fast and darted back and forth twirling out of the way and easily engaging all three of them in pitched battle. Whoever she was she had been well schooled in the art of magical combat. Hermione finished something complex he couldn't readily identify and launched it toward the ceiling.

A hundred beams of light shot out and assailed the woman from all sides keeping her temporarily occupied. Harry used the opportunity to summon Jane's unconscious body closer to them. Seeing this, the woman's eyes widened in anger and she swept a hand to the side neatly removing the counter, chairs and everything else between them into a crashed pile at the side of the room.

"Leave her! She's mine! All will be bound in one!" The woman didn't speak so much as howl and Harry suddenly had an acute appreciation of what hearing a banshee scream must be like. Rising fully to his feet he planted himself between the two women.

"Over my dead body." With a blast of power to drive the others into cover the woman sneered back at him with what on a less horrific visage would be called a smile. Harry could feel her gathering strength and it struck just a touch of terror into him.

"So be it!" With a shout she released a hex at him that crackled with sickly yellow and purple energy as it closed the distance more slowly than most spells would. Raising the strongest shield he could Harry pushed everything he had into his own defense. As the rampage of light arrived he nearly collapsed in shock at the strength of it. Somewhere in the distance his knee crashed painfully to the floor

Just before the shield buckled Ron appeared at his side adding strength and reinforcing Harry flagging defense. With a stronger howl the woman redoubled her effort and a cascade of hellish energy began bashing at the shield smashing it back an inch at a time. Just as he could feel Ron failing Hermione appeared on his other side, spoke words alien to even his well versed mind and added her own calculated strength to the defense. Though she lacked their raw power her understanding of the underpinning magic made her every bit as effective. With a burst that shrouded the woman in incandescent darkness the apocalyptic forces assaulting them gained strength once more.

In that moment Harry managed to focus his mind and see the fight entire. It gave him a strange sort of calm. With his friends on either side he slowly rose to his feet, a determined light glowing in his eyes. Drawing on their strength he took a firm step forward and pushed the shield closer to the woman. Disbelief battled rage behind her dark eyes. After one last burst the assault ended. Harry could just make out the burst and charred piece of wood that used to be a wand as she cast it aside. It broke into several smoldering pieces as it crashed into the wall and then to the ground. She stared at him for a long moment before growling a few clipped words.

"This isn't over. I'll have what's mine!" Before Harry's exhausted body could respond she turned in place and disappeared. Waiting several moments to make sure she was really gone he dropped his wand to his side and nearly collapsed to the ground. Only Ron's steadying hand kept him upright. Hermione was the first to voice what they were all thinking.

"What was that?" Harry shook his head as he took long breaths.

"A witch. One far more powerful and dangerous than any I've ever seen." After a long moment his eyes fell on the still unconscious woman just behind him. "Come on. We need to contact the ministry and get her to safety." With Ron's help he managed to get the woman safely to one of the undamaged chairs while Hermione tried to work out just what had happened. This had been their trap and yet they had almost been caught by it.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	22. Ch 21: Before the Champion

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 21

**Before the Champion**

"I don't care what she told you about her plants! Get her out of there now!" Harry ducked several paper airplanes shooting past his head as he pushed open the office door belonging to the head of Magical Law Enforcement. Several more nearly collided with them trying to get into the room. For a few seconds there was a furious dogfight taking place around Harry's head that nearly made him walk into a wall. Once the memos managed to sort themselves out he was able to fully enter the office with Ron hard on his heels.

They shut the door just as Arthur rose from the fireplace where he had been shouting at one of their coworkers. "Blasted crazy old witches. They'll be the death of me." Turning from the hearth his eyes settled on the pair. "Potter, Weasley. Good. Miss Vance is safely hidden away I assume?" They nodded in unison. "Excellent. Having a bit of trouble with some of the others but we're bringing them in even as we speak." He gestured to his desk where the recently arrived memos had just landed.

On it Harry could make out several pictures of the people being brought in. Each corresponded to one of the names Hermione had divined and was a likely target. The attack on Jane Vance had been seen as a confirmation that Hermione's theory was correct and everyone involved had thought that, given the events of the previous night, moving the other potential targets into Ministry protection was an excellent idea. Even now teams of Aurors would be spiriting people, and in some cases whole families, to secret locations around the isles.

Arthur turned and collapsed in his chair. He had been woken in the middle of the night by the report of their failure in apprehending the attacker and looked far less than well rested. The second floor of the Ministry had been in chaos ever since. Extra Aurors had been called in, those on detail in the field had been ordered to collect their charges and head for a ministry safe house and interns were even now combing the records office for something vaguely like the description they had provided. Harry could feel Arthur's fatigue in his own body and see it in Ron's eyes. Hermione was currently asleep on the couch in their office preferring to stay close to her husband rather than go home alone. Harry had managed to speak with Ginny for a few moments at some point he couldn't quite remember and update her on the situation. With a gesture from their boss the pair dropped into the two chairs facing his desk.

"All in all…we've had more successful operations." Arthur ran a hand down his face, stopped for a moment feeling unshaven whiskers, continued on and slowly turned to them. "Still…Miss Vance is safe. So it's not all for naught." He stared at the pair of them for a long moment, his head slowly bobbing back and forth. Eventually confusion spread across his features. "I'm sorry. Did I call you here?" Harry and Ron glanced at each other. After a moment they both shrugged. Ron managed to shake his head.

"We're not sure sir. Seemed like we should come." Arthur nodded slowly.

"Seems right. Well, it is your case. What's your next move?" Harry considered the question for several moments before he let out a long breath and tried answering.

"I don't yet. Let's wait until the interns finish searching records and see if they come up with anything. We'll need to contact the American Council as well for their records. The attacks began there and they'll have more complete information on their community than we will." Arthur managed a slow whistle at that.

"That won't be easy. Friendly with us or not they're always reticent to hand over personal information. But I'll mention it to the Minister when he gets in. Speaking of which, we've been over it a couple times but, is there anything else I need to know before I brief him on this situation?" Harry could see Ron furrowing his brow in thought as he replayed the case over in his mind. Eventually they both shook their heads.

"No sir. You know as much as us now." Arthur managed a wry chuckle.

"I doubt that. But I know enough." He slowly rose to his feet and drew his wand. Casting a wakefulness charm his whole demeanor changed and he seemed suddenly as alert as ever. "That'll give me a couple hours. Better get ready for that briefing." His now focused eyes looked down at them. "As for your two…" They rose and Harry gestured toward their office.

"Paperwork. We've got the reports filed but we still have a few things to-"

"No. Go home, get some sleep."

"But-"

"That's an order Mr. Potter. You too Weasley. You're two of my best Aurors. I need you awake and focused on this case now. Once the press gets wind of it all hell is going to break loose and you two are at the center of it. Now get going. We've got everyone under protective custody and are searching high and low for this woman. There's nothing else you can do here. I don't want to see you before tomorrow morning. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Yes da- sir."

"Good. Dismissed." The pair turned to go and once more had to duck a flurry of memos. The press. Harry hadn't even considered that.

"Hey Harry? Mind if we come over for dinner? I know Hermione will want to talk this through." It took Harry several seconds to nod.

"Sounds good. I should be awake by then. Hopefully this will make more sense after I've slept on it."

"Not unless you sleep until next year."

* * *

Finely honed senses brought Harry around to consciousness as the door to his bedroom slipped quietly shut. He could just make out the light steps that rounded the end of the bed and stopped near him. A creak in the floorboard told him his wife was kneeling beside him and reaching out her hand. His eyes slowly opened and could just make out the blur of red framing pale skin past the pillow his head was buried in. "Harry? Are you awake?" He couldn't quite make his mouth move yet.

"Mmm-hmmm…" He thought she might have smiled.

"Sure you are." After a moment Ginny turned and sat next to him, her relatively light frame barely moving the mattress. "You look better at least. You looked like the walking dead when you came home this morning." Harry managed a smile as he rolled onto his back and forced his mouth to work.

"Couldn't."

"Huh?"

"Against law…impersonate inferi." Unable to see if she was smiling at that his hand fumbled to find his glasses on the nearby desk. After a moment he located them roughly where they should have been. Slipping them on resolved her form into sharp focus and revealed she was indeed grinning at him. He couldn't help but grin back. Stretching a bit and stifling a yawn he looked around. "So…what time is it?" Only the barest hint of light shone in the windows but at this time of year that could mean anything. She glanced toward the clock on his desk.

"A quarter after five. You've been asleep for almost ten hours." He stifled another yawn and looked toward the ceiling, "What?"

"It's still not clear. I was hoping I might be able to make some sense of what's going on after getting some rest. But no such luck."

"Maybe you just need a hot meal. Come on. Dinner will be ready in a little while. Shepard's pie. Mum's own recipe."

"Sounds good. I could use some real food. Living off take out for three days really makes you appreciate a home cooked meal." Ginny chuckled a little as she rose.

"That's what Hermione said." His brow furrowed for a moment.

"Hermione?"

"Yes Harry. Your friend, my sister in law, Hermione?"

"I know who she is. I just didn't realize you'd talked to her."

"Of course. She flooed a couple hours ago to make sure I knew they were coming for dinner."

"Oh…right. Sorry. My mind's not quite up to speed yet."

"When is it ever?" She turned back as she neared the door and pointed at him. "I'm going to go check on dinner. You get cleaned up." He nodded as much as the pillow would allow.

"Yes ma'am." She rolled her eyes as she passed though the door and pulled it shut. Harry took a couple tries but managed to drag himself out of bed. A shower would do wonders for him right now.

* * *

"So, you're saying she was stronger than Voldemort?" Ginny's eyes had grown slightly wider as she voiced the thought. Harry nodded from his place beside her at the kitchen table. They had just finished dinner and now sat with Ron and Hermione discussing the attack. The only other sound in the room was the quiet scrubbing of pans and dishes as Winky cleaned up.

"In terms of raw power, yes. She was quick as well but there was a lack of finesse that most of the other powerful witches and wizards I've seen have displayed."

"I know what you mean." Ron leaned a little closer as he explained. "A lot of the Death Eaters we brought in relied on trickery and subtle maneuvers when we fought them. This woman, whenever we managed to stop an attack she just threw more force behind the spell and tried again."

"The old 'get a bigger hammer' routine huh?" Hermione nodded at Ginny's comment.

"Though it does make me wonder if we reached the upper edge of her ability. She did back down after she failed that last time."

"And burned the wand she was using to cinders."

"True." Harry mulled the thought over for a moment.

"But even if we did drive her to her limits, it still took all three of us to force a draw. How in the name of Merlin did she get so powerful?" They each retreated into their own thoughts for several long moments.

"Maybe…" Harry's hand rose suddenly to halt Ron's comment. "What?" A finger over his lips silenced the group. Looking around his eyes slowly settled on the door to the stairs. With a wave of his fingers he jerked it open to reveal the crouching and very surprised form of Lily standing outside. He stared at her a long moment. To her credit she didn't turn and run but instead stood up and waited.

"Hello Lily. Is there something you need?"

"Uh…I was just…"

"Listening in?" A lie played across her lips for a moment before she let it go and nodded. Harry noticed she was fiddling with several lengths of string in her hands, apparently to keep busy. "I assume you've heard most of the conversation?" She slowly nodded again. "Well, in that case…" He waved her in and pointed firmly to the seat beside him. She seamed frozen in place for several moments before taking a firm step into the room. As she crossed the floor he closed the door with a wave of his hand and set a silencing charm over the room.

As she took her appointed seat Harry could just make out the hard swallowing sound as she looked up at the adults around her. "Since you've heard most of the conversation Lily, was there anything you'd like to add?" The girl looked startled as Hermione spoke to her, apparently not thinking she would be asked for input. As she considered the question her hands began absently weaving the various pieces of string she was holding into a tight braid. Slowly, a question began to form on her lips.

"Uh…what was she trying to do to the woman she attacked?" Harry and Ron glanced at each other before cutting their eyes to Ginny. After a moment's hesitation she gave an infinitesimal nod for him to answer.

"As near as we can tell, she was trying to destroy her mind." The girl's brow furrowed at that.

"How?"

"We're not sure. From what we've heard it require close physical contact and looks almost like a kiss." Lily's head cocked to the side slightly and shook a little as if trying to rattle something loose. After a moment her eyes lit up.

"Like a Dementor?" The four adults glanced at each other in mild surprise. Harry then felt surprise that he should be surprised Lily could draw that comparison.

"It would appear so."

"How?"

"We don't know. Right now we've more concerned with how to stop her when we face off once more. She was incredibly strong." The girl looked slightly amazed.

"Stronger than you?" Harry chuckled a little as he nodded.

"Yes Lily. Stronger than me." Harry felt a tug at the back of his mind. Now that he had actually voiced that thought a familiar little worry was growing in his skull. It was the fear of not being able to protect everyone. Taking a deep breath he stamped it down for the moment. The last thing he needed to do right now was go off on a crazy little obsessive detour.

"So…what are you going to do?" Harry shrugged.

"Not much we can do at the moment. The Ministry is keeping an eye on the other potential targets and half the Auror office is looking for information on this woman. Just have to wait until morning."

"Speaking of which," Ron said as he rose, "we should probably think about heading out. Wouldn't you say so Hermione? Hermione? Hermione!" Looking down Harry found her eyes were fixed on something at his side of the table. Following her line of sight it appeared to be the strings Lily was braiding. "Hermione? Is there something wrong?" Her brow was furrowed deeply in thought.

"There's something… Something I'm missing." Slowly her head turned to look up at him. "Some piece of the puzzle I'm not quite seeing…" Ron stared down at her for a long moment before extending a hand.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Now come on love, time to go home." With a smile she accepted his hand and rose as well. The Potters followed suit a moment later.

"I'll just see you to the door." Ginny gestured as they rounded the table and led the way. Ron glanced back past his wife.

"Harry, have you heard from Keystone yet?" Harry shook his head.

"I'll owl him first thing in the morning. Maybe he knows something." Ginny glanced back.

"He always knows something. Whether it's relevant…" Harry shared a smile with her before she disappeared up the stairs. He let it fade as he turned to stare down at Lily.

"As for you Lily… Spying on us? Really?" She looked slightly abashed.

"I was just…curious." Harry managed a half grin as he sat back down and took her hand trying to convey with a touch the seriousness of what he was saying. Her eyes found his a moment later and concern just formed in the corners.

"Curiosity is not a sin Lily. But you would do well to exercise caution. If you want to listen in, ask. But if your mother an I say 'no' I expect you to respect that as well. I know how it can feel like adults are hiding things from you. I felt the same way for much of my youth. But your mother and I are just trying to protect you."

"From what?" Harry struggled with his answer for a long moment.

"From…the truth. From what really is out there in the dark corners of the world. You know how I rarely talk about my work?" She nodded slowly. "It's because I don't want you to have to deal with some of things I've seen. You'll learn just how dark the world can be in your own time and I don't want to burden you with that before I have to. I lived with that darkness as a child and…it messed me up." True surprise shone on her face.

"You? But you seem normal."

"I am. Mostly. You know that saving people thing I told you about? That's one of the side effects. It could be a lot worse." She started at him for several long moments clearly not entirely sure what he was telling her. Some small part seemed to have taken hold however as she nodded slowly. "Good. Now, was there anything else?"

"Who…who is Keystone?"

"One of…one of my old professors. He's been helping with this case as well." A spark of confusion appeared in her eyes.

"He's not an Auror?" Harry shook his head slowly.

"No. He's an American wizard who's been tracking this case for quite a while." He could see curiosity now growing in her face.

"What's he like?" Harry took a long breath as he contemplated how to answer that question.

"He's…hard to describe. Maybe some day you can meet him. I can tell you this; I'd trust him with my life." A strange look of consideration passed across her features for a moment before vanishing once more. "Was there anything else?" After a long moment the girl shook her head.

"No. I… I think I'll just go…read."

"Sounds good. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't, good night dad."

"Good night Lily." As she turned and headed up the stairs Harry's eyes found his wife standing in the door way with a strange expression on her face. "What?"

"Just…you." The strange mix of emotions melted into a warm smile as she approached and draped her arms around his shoulders.

"O…kay." She pulled him slightly closer as the smile in turn was replaced by a slight frown.

"For a moment there, when you were talking to Lily about being curious and what you've seen you reminded me a little of Dumbledore."

"Really?"

"Yes. Though you're much better looking."

"Considering his current state, I'm not sure how to take that." She bopped him lightly on the shoulder.

"Shut up." She pulled him into a full embrace which he readily accepted. After a moment he could just hear her against his chest and could feel the unshed tears in her eyes. "I was scared. When Hermione told me what had happened. I was so scared. I almost lost you and…" He nodded against the top of her head.

"So was I Gin. So was I. But I made you a promise. I had to come home."

"Anything else. Just always come home."

"I will. Promise."

* * *

"Harry, Ron. Thanks for meeting us here." Keystone gestured to the open seats at the table he and Katherine were already sitting at. Harry looked around as he sat down. The small park was on the outskirts of London proper and had a slightly less city look about it. Decorative plantings lay dormant on one side while a pair of dog walkers and a small playground with a handful of children and parents occupied the others. They were the only ones sitting at the group of stone tables in the center of the park at the moment and the slightly chilly air made it likely that would remain the case.

"Not a problem. So, how did things go on your end?"

"Boring. McMurta is one of the dullest muggles I've ever met. You can set your watch by his…routine." Katherine rolled her eyes at that.

"Every stakeout should be that easy. I'll admit I found the day to day life of wizard wasn't nearly as interesting as one might think. Though it was fascinating to see your people in action when they came to bring him in. Very professional if slightly obvious." Ron shrugged as he rose to his coworkers' defense.

"Someone might have been going for his head. No time for subtlety."

"Fair enough. We heard however that your assignment was anything but quiet." Harry nodded firmly and could see Keystone leaning in.

"Indeed. After the first couple days anyway. I assume you've heard about the attack?" The man nodded quickly.

"Bits and pieces. We haven't really heard a full account yet. If you would…?" Harry leaned close himself.

"Of course." Over a matter of several minutes he laid out what had happened in the course of watching Jane Vance. Patinkin maintained a passive look throughout as she absorbed and processed the information. Keystone on the other hand began with a deep focus, pulled back somewhat as the attack played itself out and ended sitting motionless and perfectly upright staring at the far distance with a strange look on his face. As Harry finished Katherine was the first to question him.

"And all of the other potential targets? They're safe?"

"As safe as they can be. Even the Ministry can only do so much. They're being held in separate locations across the country, each have multiple guards and haven't been allowed to contact anyone for the time being. It's the best we can do at the moment." Technically there were a few other things they could do such as a round of Fidelus charms, but those were reserved for extreme emergencies and there was no reason to let Patinkin know about them.

"Sounds pretty effective. Even Witness Protection would be impressed."

"Thank you. Now we just have to track this woman down before she strikes again so they can go home safely." He turned to the former professor. "So, any thoughts on the matter…Alex?" Harry had hesitated near the end as he noticed the man was still frozen in position. "Alex? Are you all right?" It took several additional seconds during which Harry nearly reached out and poked the man before his eyes refocused on the table and he spoke in a low, intense tone.

"This woman…thin, long black hair, black eyes. Did she have a scar just above her right eye? Here?" The man indicated with his finger drawing a line that went from the peak of his brow around to his temple. Harry squinted as he searched his memory. He had been more concerned with staying alive at the time but as he thought back…

"She might have. I thought…" Ron had spoken and was likewise deep in thought. The man swallowed hard.

"And…her movements. You said she was able to handle all three of you. Did she seem practiced at fighting like she had been well trained to do it?" Harry and Ron glanced at each other before turning back and nodding unison.

"Why? What are you thinking?" With out answering the man rose and turned away from them. Harry could just hear him muttering to himself.

"Can't be. No way. How? Impossible. Must be a mistake. Someone else… Jennifer…" Harry let him continue for several moments and was about to raise his voice when Katherine spoke for him.

"Alex? What's going on?" The man stopped muttering and turned ever so slowly, his head rising as he did so. When he had fully turned Harry could make out a strange haunted look in he features that was only dimmed by a lack of eyes to express it fully.

"What is it?"

"I think… I think I know who it is." Harry and Ron bolted to their feet in unison nearly tipping over their stone bench.

"Who?" The man's glasses rose to focus on them.

"I never knew her full name. We always just called her Siona. If she had a last name we never knew it." The three people still at the table looked between each other. Katherine voiced their question.

"'We' who?" Taking a deep breath Keystone regained his seat at the table and waited or the others to sit before continuing.

"The Dueling Club." He paused and Harry could almost sense him dredging up old memories long unused. She first joined us…almost twenty five years ago. She was young, talented, but vicious. She showed great promise as a duelist and was capable of beating almost everyone but she earned a dark reputation for her tendency to win with as much brutality as possible. Not a simple stunning spell for her. Siona always preferred an agony hex or smashing someone into a wall to knock them unconscious."

"Sounds like a nasty customer."

"She was Mr. Weasley. Though some people objected to it there was also a vocal minority that approved of her actions since it was shaking things up and forcing people to try new things." He hesitated for some seconds before continuing. "I was one of the latter. I'm still not entirely sure it wasn't for the best. It did force us to come up with some interesting new spells and methods that I still use today."

"Brutal, but not murderous. She never killed anyone in a duel, did she?"

"No. That was a line she never crossed. Though there was a sense of darkness about her. Most people thought it was just her reputation but she seemed to spread fear wherever she went. It became just one more weapon in her arsenal, and one she didn't hesitate to use."

"So…what happened?" The man took several seconds to organize his thoughts.

"About a year after she joined rumors started to circulate about horrific things happening near local dueling tournaments. A couple of us looked into it and found out she had no alibi for them and at least a couple witnesses described someone vaguely like her nearby at the time. We were about to confront her when she up and left. She made a speech about thanking all of us for the practice and that she might see us again sometime. And then she left. Just disappeared off the face of the planet."

"And you haven't seen her since?"

"No Harry. I did see her one other time. She came back for a couple months three years later and offered to train us in the things she'd discovered in her travels. They turned out to be some of the more ghastly bits of magic I've ever seen. A week later she…" He paused again and Harry could see him searching for words. "She crossed the line. As a group we decided she had to go. She didn't…leave quietly. That's when she got the scar."

"You…?

"Yes. And that was the last time I saw her." The four of them each considered the information quietly. It was some minutes before Katherine spoke at his side.

"And you think she's come back? That's she's behind all of this?"

"I don't know. The description is the same but…the woman I knew, dark though she may have been, wouldn't do this."

"Twenty years is a long time. People change."

"Perhaps. I have to find out. I assume you'll be spreading this information to your colleagues?" Harry nodded slowly.

"Some of it. The relevant parts. They need to know what they're up against. What about you?" Alex stared into the middle distance for some time before answering.

"America. I have to know if this is Siona. I'll try to track her movements there and see if I can find her. Katherine, would you be willing to join me?" The woman considered it a moment before nodding. Ron looked between them.

"And if it is her?"

"I'll be back. If she is behind this, she must be stopped, once and for all."

"Well then. Good luck."

"To you as well." Rising more firmly this time the man helped Patinkin to her feet. "If you find her, call me. It seems you'll need all the help you can get."

"Will do." Bidding farewell with a wave of his hand the man turned and strode off toward the street with the FBI agent at his side.

"So Harry, now that we know who, how do we handle it?" As Harry rose he cracked a smile and turned to his friend.

"Same way as always. Teamwork…and the courage of Gryffindor." Ron soon matched his grin.

"Damn right."

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	23. Ch 22: Clues and Quibbles

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

XXXXXXX

Chapter 22

**Clues and Quibbles**

"I'm surprised Hermione didn't ask to come with us. It's not like her to pass up such an opportunity." Harry nodded as he leaned past Ron to push the elevator button for the sub-basement. A second later the golden grille clanged shut and the car began descending through the layers of the Ministry.

"Maybe, just maybe, she finally trusts us to handle a little research on our own?" Harry could just make out his friends furrowed brow in the shadowy light as Ron considered the idea.

"I don't know… Doesn't really sound like her. She probably just wasn't thinking clearly."

"Really? And why would that be?" Ron visible debated with himself for several seconds before answering as they passed the lobby and several memos entered the car on their way down. "What?"

"Well…she mentioned something the other day. Something I hadn't noticed because I'm not home all day. And then we spent most of the evening talking about it…" Harry raised a hand to pause Ron's train of thought.

"Is this something you should be telling me about? If it's between you and her…" Ron's head bobbed back and forth a few times before he nodded.

"I think it's all right. You've known her as long as I have after all. And you're one of her closest friends."

"Fair enough. So…what's going on?" The grille clanged open to reveal a wide hallway lit by several flickering torches that ended in a lone black door. Ron took a couple steps out of the elevator and paused. Harry followed and waited by his side after making sure the door closed allowing the car to head back up. It took some moments for Ron to gather his thoughts in the flickering light but eventually his eyes rose.

"Well…she says…she's kind of lonely."

"Lonely?"

"Yeah. This is the first time there haven't been kids in the house since Gideon was born. She'll be working on something or reading a book and after a while it starts to get to her that she's the only one in the house." Harry frowned for a moment while considering the thought.

"I would have expected Hermione to like that. Hours to work with no distractions? Sounds like paradise for her."

"That's what I thought as well. But I guess, after so many years, you just get used to it."

"I suppose." Unsure how to continue Harry turned and took a slow step toward the waiting door. As Ron turned to follow he voiced the only thought he could.

"So…what are you going to do about it?"

"Don't know. That's what we spent half the night talking about. I offered to cut back here and spend more time at home but she knows how much I love this job and said she wouldn't want me to do that. Hermione thought she might look for a part time job or some sort of club to join."

"She could start a book club."

"Thought about that. But most of what she likes to read is so bizarre it would be almost impossible to find anyone else to talk about it with."

"True."

"At one point I suggested…" Ron hesitated for a long moment before continuing his train of thought. "I suggested that since the absence of the kids was causing the problem perhaps the solution was…more kids." Harry stopped cold and turned to face Ron.

"What?"

"Yeah. I know."

"Ron…I thought…I mean, I was sure. You two decided years ago. Two and done." Ron nodded slowly in agreement.

"We did. But a lot of that was Hermione. I came from a huge family so I always envisioned a bunch of kids. But she's an only child so she was only thinking one or two. At the time I was terrified enough of being a good father that I let her talk me into it. But now…" Harry nodded slowly as Ron looked away. Long ago, after several shots of firewhisky, Ron had gone on a lengthy tirade about how Hermione was limiting the size of their family. It had taken him several tries to get the phrase 'unilateral decision' out correctly. They had been in the middle of a case almost as hard as their current one and the fiery redhead hadn't yet sworn of getting a little drunk on occasion. At the time Harry had written it off mostly as Ron blowing off steam but even then it had clearly weighed heavily on his friend's mind. The next morning he claimed to have no recollection of the tirade and Harry was content to let it go.

"Judging by your lack of injury I take it she didn't immediately hex you for the suggestion."

"No. She wasn't exactly open to it…but she was at least considering it." Harry reached for the handle to push the door open.

"I hope you can figure something out. I hate to see you two unhappy."

"So do I. And thanks. For listening."

"Any time." Harry pushed the door open and stepped through to the large circular room beyond. Within a lone figure stood off to one side perusing an open file that was being illuminated by something in his hand. Looking up as they entered a smile formed on Justin Finch-Fletchley's face as he recognized them in the dim light. Ron shut the door and the man disappeared as whatever he was holding went dark. By the time the blue lights ignited around the room he had stepped several feet closer to them, Harry's hand reflexively moved for his wand before he managed to calm it. Instead he reached out for the man's offered grip. "Justin. How are you?"

"Good. Every day's an adventure down here. Not like seventh year but…less chance of ending up dead at least."

"True enough." Ron also shook the man's hand in greeting.

"So, what brings the Ministry's two most highly decorated Aurors down to the humble halls of the Department of Mysteries? Your note mentioned something about Dementors?" Harry nodded as the blue lights whirled around him and finally slowed to a stop.

"That's right. We've got a peculiar case and we were hoping to find some insight down here." The man spread his hand widely as if to encompass the entire floor.

"Well, you came to the right place. Can't guarantee you'll find what you're looking for but you will almost certainly find insight into something. If only how we spend our time. So…Dementors…I believe Emma is heading up research on those in the supernatural studies lab. Let's see…" He looked back and forth for a moment studying each door in turn. At last he stepped just to Harry's left and headed for the door. "Right through here if you please." Harry cast a curious glance at the man as he followed.

"How do you do that?"

"Sorry, department secret. Can't tell you. Unless you want to tell me where Azkaban is?" Harry shook his head in response. "See? You have your secrets and we…" he pushed the door open to reveal a large room full of worktables laid out with a stunning array of objects and gauges Harry couldn't even begin to guess at the function of manned by several people in thick white protective robes. "Have ours." At Justin's gesture the pair headed in and he joined them a moment later.

He led the way amongst the tables and Harry briefly looked over the things he could get a close glance at. At one table a woman was standing with a clipboard questioning a ghost about how it experienced the world. The next held what Harry instantly recognized as a thestral wing. Another had a large glass jar that seemed to have some sort of gas contained within. After a moment Harry thought he cold make out a face in the swirling mist.

Passing through the main room they entered a small side office where a woman was using her wand to examine a large black cloak that was spread out across the wall. They recognized the form if not the shape. Lacking its former owner the cloak didn't feel inherently cold and terrifying. A large slash in one side was the reason why it had been abandon.

"Emma?" The woman turned at Justin's word. Lowering her wand she examined the pair of Aurors with a critical eye, almost as if trying to see how they worked.

"Yes?"

"These are Aurors Potter and Weasley. They'd like to talk to you about your Dementor research." The woman looked slightly suspicious but slowly nodded.

"Okay. But I want to make it very clear that I didn't turn one loose in the sewers last April as a joke. That's a damned lie. And if I ever figure out who started it…" Justin glanced to Harry while biting his tongue.

"I'll…just leave you three alone then." As he hurried out the door Harry could just hear his strangled laugh. Resetting his eyes on Emma he found her gesturing to the room's three stools. As they took seats she once more cast a critical eye over them.

"So…how can I help Magical Law Enforcement today?" Harry inclined his head toward the cloak strewn across the wall.

"Just a couple of questions we hope you can answer. Or at least point us in the right direction."

"Certainly." She turned toward the cloak and stared at it as she spoke. "Dementors have always been an interest for me. There is something so primal, so basic about them. They feed on fear. They create fear. No one is sure where they came from. Sure there are rumors of the Dementors being spawned by the first magical suicide but no one really knows for sure. If we could figure out how they function, how they work…just think how far that would advance our understanding of magic." Harry and Ron glanced at each other, each seeing the concern they felt echoed in the other's eyes. After a long moment the woman turned back to them. "So…what exactly are you interested in? Origin? Habitat? Reproduction? I assume you've been briefed on how to combat them." Harry nodded slowly.

"Yes, of course. Actually, what we're most interested in is the Dementor's kiss." Her eyes narrowed at that.

"Indeed? And what aspect of that terrible act are you interested in? I'm sure you both know what happens when someone is kissed, yes? There essence, their mind, their very soul it seems is pulled, sucked out of them leaving behind only an empty shell." Harry swallowed at the thought before responding.

"Yes. Actually, we were wondering if you knew…what exactly happens to the thing, the soul, once the Dementor sucks it out?" Emma's eyes narrowed nearly to slits at that point. Her pupils moved fiercely back and forth for several seconds. "What?" Her eye's widened a fraction.

"Hm. It's just…a strange question. However…" Leaning back she rested her wand across her knee and looked toward the ceiling in thought. "What happens to the soul? That is perhaps one of the great questions of the Dementor. The truth is, we're not sure. Even when they were nominally our employees and oversaw Azkaban no one really spent any time studying them. Now that we don't have ready access we actually are trying to work out exactly what they are." Her head rolled to the side a little.

"We've done a great deal of research into the phenomenon in question. Several former guards we spoke to at the prison who were on Kiss detail reported a greater feeling of fear and coldness immediately after a kiss was preformed however most of them chalked that up to having just witnessed an execution. If, on the other hand, we take this as an actual effect, it could be that the Dementors somehow gained power from the act.

"During the Second War the number of Dementors and Dementor attacks rose dramatically and most of us assumed if was the fear the attacks generated that increased their numbers. But if the soul consumption was also fueling their creation…" She turned at that point and grabbed a quill to make some quick notes on a nearby piece of parchment. Harry and Ron glanced at each other for a long moment before she turned back to face them.

"Conversely, if the soul isn't consumed to either power them or fuel their creation, it could be that it stays trapped within their form for some period of time, be it days or years. In this case it might be possible to restore someone by slaying the Dementor who kissed them. Perhaps…" She turned once more and made several additional notes. After several moments Harry spoke to regain her attention.

"And…people who were kissed…did they lose the ability to use magic as well?" Ron cast a sidelong glance at him, a questioning look on his face. Before Harry could respond to it Emma turned back.

"I don't know. An interesting question. None of them were ever seen using magic, not even accidentally, after being kissed. But then again, using magic is generally considered an act of will and with no mind to focus that will…" Harry nodded slowly. He wasn't entirely sure what had sparked the question but it had popped into his mind while she talked. She stared at nothing a short way behind them for several moments before Harry rose.

"Thank you for your time. If we have any additional questions, will you be available to answer them?" She nodded slowly as she rose.

"I should be. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She gestured to the cloak with her wand hand.

"Certainly. Good day." She nodded absently as they stepped toward the door, the tip of her wand already poking at the black folds. Reaching the main room they walked carefully to avoid getting in any of the other Unspeakables' way. Justin strode up as they approached the door back out of Supernatural Studies.

"So…any luck?" The pair glanced at each other and simultaneously shrugged.

"Perhaps. We'll need to think on it for a little bit." Justin pulled open the door and followed them through.

"Understandable. Most people have trouble wrapping their head around this stuff. Probably for the best. We figure out some of the most terrifying things sometimes." That caught Ron's attention.

"Oh? Like what?" Looking at Justin's head as the wall spun behind him was slightly disorientating but Harry managed to keep his focus. The man had a not quite sane look in his eye as he answered Ron's request.

"You sure you want to know?" They glanced at each other for a moment before nodding. "Okay. But don't say I didn't warn you. Here it is. Garden Gnomes." They each blinked a couple time before Ron blurted out.

"That's it? That's not terrifying. Everyone knows about those."

"Do they? Well, does everybody know this? We discovered the record of mad wizard who lived about three hundred years ago. He hated the things and made it his duty to eradicate them. So he carved a wooden sentinel to protect his garden. It was the first of the silly looking gnomes that became all the rage for muggles decades later. Anyway, he also enchanted this guardian and armed it with a razor sharp hoe. It would stalk the garden and decapitate the little buggers. It was perfect as sneaking up on them too. Because as long as they were looking at it, it was just a wooden carving. The magic only took hold when the looked away, even for a second. They never even knew what was attacking them."

"That's one way to deal with the things."

"Yes. Except…that wizard? He was found dead some years later, face down next to the carrots. Head cut clean off by something razor sharp. And the gnome? Gone. No one saw it again. Rumor says it's still out there somewhere. Hiding, waiting." He paused for a long moment to let the information sink in. "Anyway…I wouldn't worry. How much time do you two spend in the garden anyway?" Crossing the room he pulled open a door that revealed a wide hallway leading to a golden grilled elevator. "Nice to see you. Stop by anytime." They nodded uncertainly and shook his hand as they passed. Harry glanced back once they were in the hallway and could see the slightly malicious grin on Justin's face as he closed the door between them.

Ron let out a long whistle as they approached the elevator and waited for their ride. "Whoa. And I used to wonder why we kept them locked up in the basement." Harry shrugged as the car arrived.

"It's not impossible Ron. This is magic we're talking about."

"True. But still. A murderous gnome that only moves when you're not looking? Sounds like something out of a horror movie." He followed Harry into the elevator after waiting for the grille to move aside. "Bah. Justin probably made the whole thing up just to mess with us." Harry glanced over to his friend for a moment before resetting his eyes on the golden lattice in front of them. A psychotic statue was far from the strangest thing he'd ever heard of. Instead his thoughts drifted to what Emma had told them.

He hadn't truly expected much information. Dementors where a tricky subject even when they worked for the Ministry. His memories drifted next to the battle he had fought in Jane Vance's apartment. Dementors might use souls to power themselves. Could Siona have found a way to mimic that ability? It would explain her unbelievable strength with magic. He was lost in his thoughts when the car came to a stop and it took Ron giving him a small shove before he stepped out toward their office.

"Something on your mind?" Harry glanced over the case board as he responded.

"Just trying to make the pieces of this thing fit." He dropped into his chair and swiveled back and forth a couple times. "It seems like there's one or two connections we need to find and every thing will make sense." He held up a finger on each hand in front of himself. "Things aren't quite fitting." He turned a little and moved his fingers so they lined up in his vision. "Maybe I just need a different perspective and it'll work out." He dropped his hands and glanced over to Ron. The other man had leaned forward with his arms crossed on the desk.

"Hm. Well…you know who I always thought had a unique point of view on things?" Harry raised a questioning eyebrow. "Luna Lovegood." Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he considered the name. "And, she might be able to point us in the right direction about anything else that could be doing this." Harry followed his gesture up to the board. Luna always did have a different if poignant perspective and, though many of the _Quibbler's_ story were utter nonsense, a wide knowledge of strange and unusual magical phenomenon. Ron rose from his chair and reached for his traveling cloak. "Fancy a trip?"

Harry glanced at the clock for a moment. Almost two. They could pop out to Luna's house and be back in a couple hours. He rose as well and reached for his cloak. "Are you sure she won't mind us popping in on Friday afternoon? What if she's working on a story for the Quibbler?" Ron shrugged as he slipped on his cloak.

"You know Luna. Always ready for company. Besides, if it's terribly important, we can always come back later." Harry nodded at this and quickly whipped his cloak around his shoulders. Following Ron he descended to the lobby, checked out with the front desk and waited for a moment in the main entryway. "Something wrong?" Harry slowly shook his head.

"I just realized I haven't seen Luna in almost a year. That just seemed odd." Ron shrugged and double checked his cloak.

"Don't exactly travel the same circles do we? Besides, I wouldn't worry. How much can a person really change? Even one as odd as Luna?" Giving a small grin Ron turned in place and disappeared. Harry considered the thought for a moment before doing the same.

Arriving a few seconds later on a gravel road cresting a snow covered hill he glanced around. The country side was quiet at the moment. A small forest sat off to the right and a river ran slowly to the left. Ahead, and about a half mile distant, he could just make out the top of Luna's oddly shaped home between two hills. Ron followed his gaze and laughed. He always did when he saw the round tower shaped structure that perpetually looked like a rook in search of a game. Harry always expected an over sized knight to drop out of the sky next to it.

Harry watched the structure grow as they set off and walked steadily closer along the country lane. He turned once or twice to dodge a light wind but the traveling was otherwise quick. They had purposely apparated some distance from the house as personal experience told them surprising Luna could be dangerous. Harry had only been here a couple times before. The first was a couple years after the war when he had been promoting the book Hermione had written about his life. The second was more recent and official when they had been forced to confiscate a rather dangerous artifact from Xenophilius before it could turn on him. He was somewhat sore about that still but Luna had managed to direct his anger at the Ministry instead of them personally.

As they reached a short fence and then a gate Harry glanced down at the sign nearby. It held the names of both occupants and Office of the _Quibbler_ in tight black script on the worn wooden sign. Pushing through the gate Harry glanced around and took in the sight once more. The tower was in a better state of repair than the last time he had been there but it still seemed as if it was going to collapse at any moment.

After Ron closed the gate they started toward the door. About a dozen feet in they noticed movement off to the right where memory told Harry the garden would be. Stepping closer they could see a man was kneeling down in the dirt and carefully placing something in the ground. Judging by the cleared snow he had been at it for some time. Stopping at the picket fence that surrounded the garden Harry raised his voice. "Mr. Lovegood?"

The man froze in place for a moment before slowly turning, his work robes being carefully pulled away from the fresh planting. As he rose to his full height Harry knew instantly it wasn't Luna's father. Xenophilius was a thin man with long scraggly hair. This man was strong, well kempt and had a focus in his eyes. It took several seconds after the man's face came into view under a wide brimmed hat for him to see past the dirt recognize the features. Ron got it just a moment sooner.

"Neville?" Harry was momentarily unable to speak as the other man wiped away a bit of grime and pushed the hat back a few inches. After a moment's indecision he squared his shoulders and faced them with a light smile on his face.

"Hello Ron, Harry. What brings you here?" The pair glanced at each other before returning their gaze to him. As Harry was still unable to reply Ron was forced to explain.

"We were…coming to talk to Luna. About a case we're working on. And we thought…" He drifted off for a moment before the question burst forth. "What are you doing here?" The surprise was as evident in his voice as it was in Harry's face. Neville glanced around a couple times before answering.

"Luna…asked me to help her get the garden ready to go this year. She told me about what a mess it was last fall and I offered to do some spring preparation." Harry nodded slowly. That made perfect sense. Neville was after all far and away the best gardener he'd ever met. Another thought however caught his mind.

"Don't you have a class to teach right now?" Neville shook his head.

"I switched my schedule around this year. Fridays I'm done by 1. Usually I use the time to finish off anything the students have missed during the week. Nice way to start the weekend. Today, I'm here."

"Oh. Okay. So…" Before he could continue Harry heard the scraping of a window opening somewhere above. All three turned as a dreamy voice sounded out from within the tower.

"Neville? Are you almost done? I'm becoming somewhat bored up here alone." Harry glanced up and found Luna leaning partially out the window, her light blond hair trailing down a bit like Rapunzel. She seemed to have a blanket wrapped tightly around herself and held closed at the front. She noticed them a moment later and looked each over thoughtfully. "Hello Harry. Ron. What brings you here today? Not a case of knobbleworts I hope? I've just run out of honey." Harry's gaze fell to Neville who now had a decidedly fixed grin and was turning very slowly red. He looked back up to the woman.

"Actually, we were hoping to talk to you about a case we're working on. Ron thought you might be able to provide a unique point of view." Her eyes lit up at that and a wide smile spread across her lips.

"Everyone's view is unique. I can not see from you eyes anymore than you can mine. But perhaps I can help. Please come in. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Thank you." As she stepped back and pulled the window shut Ron's attention dropped back to Neville.

"Gardening. Must remember that one." Neville was unable to muster an immediate reply and instead gestured to the ground.

"I'll…I'll just finish up here." Harry and Ron nodded slowly before walking quickly on to the front door of the house each chocking down fits of laughter. Taking several deep breaths they passed through the door and into the tower proper.

Looking around Harry found things to be slightly more organized since his last trip here some years ago. The press that churned out the _Quibbler_ sat, as always, off to one side of the room and was currently silent. He could hear shuffling somewhere up the flight of stairs which must be Luna and noticed the teapot on the stove had walked over to the sink to fill itself. He could just make out Ron's murmured words as they stood and waited.

"Luna and Neville? Didn't expect that." Harry murmured back as he pretended to examine a shelf of books.

"Not the strangest pairing I've ever seen." Ron's lips quirked as he replied.

"True. After all, who would have thought my sister would choose you?" Harry cast a withering glance at him that bounced harmlessly off. Before he could respond in kind his attention was drawn to the stairs where Luna herself was descending wearing a silver sundress that seemed to reflect nonexistent light in small starlight patterns. As she reached the final step and lightly hopped to the floor she gestured to the kitchen table while giving them a wide smile.

"It's so nice to have company. And I haven't seen you for quite a while. Please have a seat. Would you like some tea?" The pair was just able to nod as they sat. "It does get somewhat lonely here sometimes with father gone. Doing research for my articles does keep me busy but it's nice to have someone to talk to instead of interview." Harry glanced at Ron before speaking.

"Uh…Luna?" She turned from the teakettle and watched him lightly.

"Yes?"

"Your father?"

"Yes?"

"Is gone?" She nodded slowly. Harry felt a sudden pang. How had that happened and he hadn't heard about it?

"Oh yes. I do miss him so."

"How…erm…how did he die?" It was her turn to look confused.

"Die? He didn't die."

"But you said he was gone…"

"Yes. To Sweden. He's looking into the conspiracy between the Swiss watch makers and the town of Greenwich to make the entire world five minutes late to everything." Harry was, as so often when talking to Luna, unable to formulate a reply to this. Fortunately he was saved as Luna poured them each a cup of tea and sat down at the table.

"Now…at to this case you wanted to ask me about…you don't suspect me do you? Because, with my father out of the country, I fear it would be frightfully hard to produce an alibi. And going to Azkaban doesn't sound like much fun either. Who would write the paper?" She stared off into the distance for a moment as if formulating plans should they arrest her. Harry managed to shake the idea from his head and focus on the case.

"Well…here's what we've got…" Her attention was focused, as much as it ever was anyway, on them as they laid out the pertinent facts of the case that had so far eluded their ability to solve. She paid particular attention to the description of their take out dinners and the fact Keystone was involved. "And that's where we are now. Any thoughts on the matter or what might have given this woman her powers?" Luna leaned back in her chair and let her eyes drift across the ceiling for several long moments. In the relative silence Harry could just make out the sound of Neville still working in the garden. He had been out there quite a while.

"Well…it could be a blindasaur…but those merely take you eyes. Perhaps a spotted stooge. But those just replace your nose and live off your smells." The men glanced at each other momentarily, neither sure if they should take this seriously. After several further long moments Luna's eyes once more settled on them. "I'm sorry but the only thing I've heard of that could do that would be a Dementor. Though why a woman would be mimicking a Dementor to attack random people is beyond me." Ron furrowed his brow for an instant.

"Well…actually…they might not be random." A moment later he explained the connection Hermione might have found. Luna's eyes intensified strangely at this new information.

"Well…that is strange. Blood lines…hmmm." She rose and stepped over to a table beside the press. As she began digging through piles of what were presumably old issues of the _Quibbler_ she spoke over her shoulder. "Father did a piece some time ago about a wizard in Austria who was attempting to gain the abilities of certain animals by magically combining their blood with his." Harry leaned a little closer.

"Did it work?"

"Sort of. He wanted the ability to fly and so was working with bats. He grew wings in fact. Unfortunately they were only the size of a normal bat and so not very useful. Interesting conversation point I'm told." Harry blinked several times feeling once more that strange trance like effect Luna often projected that somehow made what she said sound plausible. "He then tried some sort of direct transference. Absorbing its essence or something." She paused at this point and continued digging. Ron made a motion she couldn't see before speaking.

"And?"

"Well, this time he wanted to swim so he used a fish. The neighbors found him drowned in the local creek a week later. One could make a claim he was successful. He seemed to think like a fish." Setting the stack of papers back in place she turned around with a partial frown on her face. "I can't seem to find it. Perhaps it's in the storage shed…" Harry held up a hand as he rose.

"That's all right. We can always search for it later if we need to look it over." Ron rose beside him.

"Thanks for the help Luna." She nodded serenely.

"Any time." She glanced out the window. "Now…I must see what's keeping Neville. We have other things to take care of." Harry quickly pointed to the door.

"We'll just be going then. Good afternoon."

"Good bye." Putting on a coat several sized too large for her she saw them out the door and toward the gate before turning to find where Neville was working. As they reached the road Harry glanced over to his partner. Ron looked back with a quirky smile on his face. Harry shrugged and started walking. Though he tried to focus on the ideas Luna had presented, he couldn't get Neville's embarrassed face out of his mind.

XXXXXXX

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	24. Ch 23: Old Friends

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 23

**Old Friends**

It was nearly noon Saturday morning in late February when the relative silence in the Potter household was shattered by the loud pop as Ginny appeared in the entryway carrying a pair of shopping bags from stores in Diagon Alley and looking furious. With quick and almost brutal movements she removed her traveling cloak and hung it roughly near the door. Collecting her bags once more she started up the stairs at a quick march. Dobby had stepped in from the front room and was looking carefully around the corner as the heavy footfalls slammed on the stairs.

As he did so another pop drew his attention back to the entryway. Harry Potter had arrived home looking distraught. "Ginny!" Hearing the stomping above he absently cast his cloak to the side and raced after her. "Ginny, wait!" As he rounded to the second floor he could hear her footsteps quicken. Increasing his speed as much as he dared he reached the third floor landing just in time to hear a door slam shut at the end of the hall. "Ginny!"

Reaching the end of the hall he found the door to their bedroom shut and heard the lock click shut. Reaching for the handle anyway he tried to open it. The door refused to budge. He could feel that not only had she physically locked it but had also placed a magical seal on the entrance. He raised his voice again. "Ginny! I'm sorry! It was a stupid thing to say. Please open the door." He could just make out the sound of bags being dropped to the floor and some muffled sound that was likely her landing on the bed. He studied the door for a moment. She had never been particularly good at locking charms and he could likely break through this one. But that wouldn't help things at all. "Ginny, please open the door."

Harry waited for several long moments but heard no further movement within. Minutes passed as he stood there staring at the faded wood and trying to figure out what to do. He finally turned from the door and let out a frustrated grunt while muttering to himself. "Blast it." With nothing else to do he finally decided to head down the stairs. With sudden horror Harry realized he had left his children alone in Diagon Alley while in pursuit of his wife. Racing down the the stairs and nearly falling several times he summoned his cloak to his hand and rapidly slung it around his shoulders.

He was about to apparate away when the fireplace flared to life and Albus slid out clutching a bag emblazoned with the triple W of Fred and George's shop. He rose and turned to help his brother up as Sirius slid out of the flames carrying a similar bag. Yes. Okay. Those two had been with their uncles. But Lily had been with them at the potion shop near Knockturn Alley… If something happened there…

He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding when his daughter came sliding out of the fireplace a few moments later carrying a book in one hand and a folded piece of parchment in the other. The twins had to move quickly not to be bowled over but they managed to evade her sliding form. Leaving their sister to pull herself up they turned toward the doorway. They looked up to their father as they headed for the stairs. Panic ebbed in Harry's mind as the children appeared safe and sound. "Hey dad," they intoned together. He looked down and eyed their bags with mock suspicion.

"Hello. And dare I ask what you've been sent home with this time?" Twin evasive grins crossed their faces.

"Nothing too dangerous."

"Unless we use it wrong."

"Or use it right."

"Or use it left."

"Or use what's left."

"Or use what's left right.

"Or use what's left right here wrongly.

"Or set it on fire." Harry's eyes bounced back and forth between the pair as they spoke. After they devolved into a fit of laughter he could do no more than shake his head.

"You have definitely been spending too much time around your uncles." They let out identical grins and raced past him before he could further inquire what they had been given. Fred and George did a good job of not giving the children anything outright dangerous but the kids were extremely creative in how they used their presents. As they disappeared his gaze returned to settle on Lily. She was watching them with a bemused expression that reminded him oddly of her mother. At the thought of Ginny he had to steady himself once more. As her eyes rose to meet his he managed to speak.

"Lily…I'm sorry I left you alone. I…wasn't thinking straight. I was about to come get you." Her gaze moved from his face to the cloak haphazardly draped around his shoulders before settling back on his eyes. Her shoulders bounced in a dismissive gesture and he let out a breath. No harm done it seemed. "How did you know to come home?" She shrugged once more as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Thinking back, it might have been.

"I heard mum disapparate and came around the corner just as you went after her. The man at the counter said mum was looking furious so I figured I should find those two and head home. Uncle Fred agreed. Oh, and he gave me this." She held out the note which Harry took and glanced over. His name was scratched hastily on the front in Fred's lazy script. His gaze returned to his daughter and he could only stare at her for a long moment. The scrutiny seemed to make her anxious. "What?" Harry let a wide smile cross his face.

"Just…you. It's hard to remember sometimes that you're only ten." She seemed momentarily indignant.

"I'll be eleven next month." Harry's hands rose defensively.

"I know. It's just…I can't' really explain it. It's a parent thing." Hey eyebrow cocked up just a little before she looked away.

"Whatever." Her eyes drifted around the room for a moment before rising to the ceiling. "So…what happened with you and mum?" Harry's eyes followed her gaze and he could almost feel Ginny through the wood and plaster. He let out a long breath as he replied.

"I…said something stupid. I wasn't thinking. And your mother took it badly." Lily considered this information for some moments before letting out a small sound that indicated indifference. She stared into the middle distance for some time before remembering the firm weight of the book in her arms.

"I'll be in the library." He nodded slowly. Her message delivered and question asked she turned toward the library and set off. Harry watched her go and thought back to the first time he had seen Ginny. She had been Lily's age then. All those years ago at King's Cross. Pulling back from his reverie he opened the note Fred had sent and looked over the lines quickly.

_Harry,_

_Lily's just arrive and told us you two abandon_

_her in the Alley. We can only presume a fight or_

_a badly thought out plan to be rid of the children._

_Either way we decided to send your brood home. Also, _

_Albus nearly managed to destroy our entire stock_

_of Remembrance Day fireworks. And we don't have_

_time to replace them._

_Later,_

_Fred_

_P.S. – If you've screwed things up with our sister,_

_we'll kill you. But no pressure_.

Harry stared at the last couple lines for several moments before folding the note up and sticking it in his pocket. "Yeah. No pressure." Not entirely sure what to do he wandered toward the back of the house and soon found himself in the family room they had added on. Though quiet now it was still impeccably clean and toasty warm thanks to the fire. Picking out a comfortable chair he dropped into it and let out a long sigh.

For some minutes he simply listened to the silence and fought the urge to race up to his bedroom, break through the door and hash things out with his wife. The locked door was her way of saying she needed some time alone. He had to respect that.

Idle thoughts drifted through his head and he eventually landed on the still unsolved case that hung over his head. Since stopping the attack on Vance there had been no new assaults and the potential targets were still deep in Ministry protection. With no clues what might happen next and Keystone having just written a couple days ago that he and Katherine were still trying to trace Siona in the States they had come to an impasse.

Other cases had come and gone and the pair had helped Seamus and Dean run down part of the magical drug trafficking ring. That had been a brutal day. A warehouse with a dozen drug crazed witches and wizards defending it had taken all four of them and dozen other Aurors besides to clear out. His training with Keystone had paid off however. He had regained a little of the edge he'd lost in the previous years. Bits of the battle began playing back and forth through his head and he found himself critiquing his technique. It was a bizarre feeling to be the commentator for your own fight.

Before he had realized it mid afternoon had arrived and he hadn't moved. The twins had raced through the room at one indeterminate point recently but he had no reference for when that had been.

"Knut for your thoughts Harry?" His eyes rose and looked to the side. A small portrait on the side table that normally held a picture of Ginny and the newborn James now only held Dumbledore. He gestured to a nearby landscape where the pair could be seen admiring the mountains. "Forgive me for shooing them off but it looked like you might need someone to talk to." Harry stared at him for a long moment, the weight of wisdom in Dumbledore's features and knowledge in his eyes still impressive after all their years of acquaintance.

"Couldn't hurt." The man waited, patiently, projecting the aura as he so often did that time, said to wait for no man, would linger for him. "I don't know. It's this case I've been working on and I just realized how fast the kids are growing up and I said something stupid to Ginny that made her mad and… I guess it just sort of hit me all at once." The picture of his old teacher smiled slightly. He had heard much about the case and had offered and opinion or two. He had also watched the children grow from the moment they'd come home and likely knew about Ginny's sudden arrival at the house. "I've just been sitting here, thinking." Dumbledore watched him for several heartbeats before responding.

"These attacks have been weighing on your mind for months. You'll carry it through to the end Harry. You always do. It's one of the things I counted on when you were in school. I could have stepped in many times and aided you, made some things easier. But I know you could handle it yourself and that doing so would make you stronger. Strong enough to face your final test." He paused for several moments before continuing.

"And you've known the children would grow. I've watched you revel in their every new advance. Surely that's not causing you any undue distress. So what really has you glued to this chair is far more recent." Harry smirked at the comment.

"Yeah. I know. I'm just trying not to think about it." A strange smile crossed Dumbledore's face.

"That means you care Harry. You're trying to respect her wishes even when it's killing you to do so." Harry nodded a little.

"That's true. All I want to do is run up there and work this out. But if I break through the locking charm she'll just get madder at me. Got to wait." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled in some sudden light and the smile widened on his features.

"Hmm… Perhaps not." The man indicated the other side of the room with a nod. Harry turned to find Ginny had silently entered and was now standing a few feet from him, an uncertain look in her eyes. He stared at her for what may have been several minutes.

"I'm sorry. It was a stupid thing to say." She shook her head slowly.

"No. I'm sorry. I overreacted. You didn't deserve that." After several seconds he extended his hand toward her. She accepted and he pulled her carefully down onto his lap. A glance past her head told him Dumbledore had quietly departed for frames unknown. Sitting there, embracing his wife, all seemed right again.

* * *

Carefully straightening his robes Harry checked them once more in the mirror. They weren't dress robes by any means but they were slightly nicer than his everyday clothing. Turning around he headed for the desk. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Opening the box atop the pile of books there he rummaged around for a moment before finding a smaller box within. Pulling it out he slipped off the top to reveal a golden pin. Returning to the mirror he made sure the stylized D and A sat straight on his lapel before giving himself a final inspection.

"You look fine. It's not like anyone is going to care." Ginny appeared in the reflection beside him, her robes and pin already carefully in place. He glanced over to her mirror eyes.

"It's not for them. It's for me." She shrugged and turned to the door.

"Whatever. I'll be downstairs when you're ready." Brushing an invisible piece of lint off the shoulder of his robe she turned and departed the bedroom. Harry glanced around the room, his eyes seeking anything else he should bring. Several ideas crossed his mind though in the end all that really mattered was himself, his wand and the pin. Stepping into the hall and pulling the door shut he paused at the top of the stairs. Not for the first time the sword that hung in the war room beckoned to him. It would even be appropriate attire today. But in the end he continued on downward.

As he reached the second floor he found Lily emerging from her room. She stopped and looked him over, the sight of her father wearing something other than his normal clothes drawing her interest. Eventually her eyes came to rest on the pin attached to his lapel. Her brow furrowed for some moments before her eyes widened in recognition. She had apparently remembered that chapter in the book he had given her. As surprise faded she looked up at him. "About to go?' He nodded firmly.

"Yeah. Your grandmother should be here soon and then we're off. But I promise we'll be back in time to take you to Diagon Alley for the fireworks." Her gaze gained a strange look of sternness.

"You had better be. Remembrance Day only comes around once a year." He raised an eyebrow at her tone before breaking in to a smile.

"Trust me, I know. I've been celebrating them since long before you were born. Come here." Kneeling down he hugged her firmly before leaning back. "Now, be good for your grandmother." She looked momentarily offended at the implication. "I know the twins weren't the only ones that came back with something from your uncles." She was stunned to silence as he rose and turned toward the stairs.

Reaching the first floor he found Ginny being embraced by her mother in a warm hug. He barely had a chance to say hello before Mrs. Weasley had collected him in a hug as well. As she stepped back Ginny continued the conversation they'd been having. "Thanks again for doing this mum." The older witch waved it off.

"Oh, think nothing of it. Kids these days think it's just an excuse to miss school and set off fireworks. But those of us who remember know it's all about family. And I do so enjoy my grandchildren." She looked around several times. "Where are my grandchildren?" Harry gestured up the stairs.

"Lily should be down in a minute and the twins are likely in their room planning something. I'd be careful if I was you." She laughed and once more waved off the concern.

"I handled my own twins, I can handle yours." Harry chuckled in response.

"I handled Voldemort and I have trouble with those two sometimes." All three of them chuckled at that. Mrs. Weasley glanced back at the clock on the mantle.

"Oh my, you had better get going. What will they think if you're late?" Harry and Ginny glanced at each other.

"I think they'll wait mum." Putting a hand on a shoulder of each she turned them toward the door.

"Well, still. It's bad manners. Now, off with you two and don't worry about a thing." She turned and started climbing up the stairs. "Where are those children?" They glanced after her for a moment before turning to each other with matching smiles. Harry indicated the door with a nod of his head. Ginny responded with a nod of her own. They took a step, turned in place and disappeared from their home. As they did so Albus emerged from behind a pile of traveling cloaks while rubbing his hands together.

"Let the games begin…"

* * *

The air over Hogsmeade was clear, crisp and bright as they appeared on the platform when the Hogwarts Express usually waited. Looking around, Harry smiled. He hadn't been back since resigning his professorship but is seemed as if nothing had changed. Extending his arm he accepted his wife's hand and they set off through the town.

As they strode purposefully up the main street they had to dodge students at nearly every step. Hogsmeade was abuzz with activity as students from Hogwarts dashed madly back and forth trying to pack the experience of the entire town into a few hours. March 13th had been declared an official holiday after the first Remembrance Day and that meant classes were suspended for the day. It also gave several occupants of the school an excellent reason to try outperforming each other with magical fireworks displays. Though Harry hadn't participated during either of his years of residence, he had greatly admired the talent he had observed. He nearly broke off as they passed the local branch of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and it was only Ginny's firm grip that kept him in line.

Harry found himself smiling as he walked remembering both his own times coming here and more recently as a professor escorting students. He returned a few scattered waves from students who recognized him as their professor and greeted a couple visitors who recognized him as Harry Potter.

Finally breaking away from the crowds as they reached the edge of the town they were able to speed up on their trek to the castle. Hearing a voice behind them calling out they turned and found Seamus, Dean and Lavender hurrying to catch up. With his seeker eyes Harry quickly picked out the golden pins each of them were wearing. "Hi!" They each shared handshakes and greetings as the trio caught their breath. Dean indicated the castle with his chin.

"Thank Merlin. We thought we were going to be late. Seamus wouldn't leave until everything was just so." Seamus cut a withering glance to his fellow Auror before shaking his head. "But if we arrive with you two no one would dare call us on it." Ginny let her voice drop flat.

"Oh. So glad we could be of some help." It quickly came back to life though as she turned to Lavender. "So, how's Isabelle?" Lavender's eyes lit up as she responded.

"Good. My mother's watching her now. She should be fine for a few hours." Her eyes slid to the side and looked slightly forlorn. "I hope…" Ginny slid an arm around her back and started heading for the castle.

"She'll be fine. Kids can handle anything. I remember when James was a baby…" As they spoke Harry fell in next to the others and followed at a short distance. He glanced to his side.

"All quiet at the Ministry?" Seamus nodded slowly.

"As quiet as Remembrance Day ever is. If there's any real trouble, they know where to find us." Dean chuckled as he thought about it.

"Merlin help any fool that pisses them off that badly. If we got a call here half the Army would likely come with us." Harry thought about it for a moment.

"Only half?" As they neared the main gate Harry could see several younger students milling around in the courtyard and practicing bits of magic while stealing occasional glances down the hill toward the town. Turning shortly before reaching the large opening the group followed the outer wall of the castle for some time. As they walked images flashed in Harry's head superimposing themselves on the landscape before him. He could still pick out the point he had used Godric's sword to strike a line in the ground. Further on his mind pulled up thoughts of hundreds of fallen inferi and a dozen broken giants. As they followed a curve in the wall he could feel the resonance of his greatest duel, still present after all these years on the spot where both Dumbledore and Tom Riddle had fallen.

As the curve in the wall became an actual corner their destination slid into view. Several people where already there and stood in a loose group among the headstones and markers within the Hogwarts graveyard. As they moved around the sunlight caught their golden pins and quick flashes appeared almost constantly. A few near the back noticed the five of them approaching and raised hands to wave. Soon the entire group had noticed them and moved closer to welcome the latest arrivals. As they did so Harry looked around and did a quick head count.

"We're not late are we?" Terry Boot shook his head and stepped forward.

"Almost. Dennis is still on his way. He sent an owl to say he'd be a little late." Harry felt marginally relieved. It would have been something of a bad show for them to have shown up late to the gathering. A moment later he picked out Ron standing off to the side with Hermione and speaking with her former roommate. Smiling at that Harry began to move through the crowd shaking hands and catching up.

It was only a few minutes later when Dennis Creevy, looking slightly worn out, appeared around the corner of the wall and joined them. As he was welcomed by the others the group slowly quieted down and turned to Harry expectantly. Knowing his cue when he saw it he took a couple long strides backward and looked them over.

"Hello." He received several muted greeting in response. "Sixteen years ago this evening we stood on these grounds and fought one of the most terrific battles against the forces of darkness the world had ever seen. Though we, the members of Dumbledore's Army, emerged victorious, not all of us lived to see the better world we were fighting for." He paused and could see somber thoughts in each of their eyes. It wasn't much of a speech and it wasn't new. He'd spoken something like it every year since the first. "And it falls to us, who live still, to remember those who gave their lives that we could enjoy a world free of Voldemort. Neville, if you would?" At that Neville stepped forward from the crowd and took a deep breath.

"Hannah Abbot." His voice sounded out loud and clear over the assembled DA members. After a pause of several seconds he spoke again. "Colin Creevy." Harry cut his eyes over to Dennis and could see them harden fractionally at his brother's name. After another pause Neville continued. One by one he spoke the names of seven Army members who had fallen in the Battle of Hogwarts. The first couple of years he had carried a scroll with names on it but even then none of them had needed it. As the names continued Harry thought back to each of them and memories he had of their training, the final year in Professor Keystone's class and their final hour. He was saddened to realize some of those memories were a little faded at the edge and he had to work harder to recall them. At last Neville had finished the list and spoke once more. "We speak these names for as long as a name is spoken, that person is never truly gone."

Harry turned and looked over the graveyard. Seven flashes of gold stood out amongst the green grass and white marble. With a little help from Hermione he had set a DA pin into each of the relevant headstones shortly after the first reunion. Thanks to her they would never tarnish and would likely continue to gleam long after the stones that held them had worn away to dust.

It was some minutes later when Harry looked around and could see much of the group had finished their personal reveries. "Let us always remember the fallen. But let us also celebrate what their sacrifice bought. In that spirit I believe the house elves have prepared refreshments in the Room of Requirements." Smiles broke out across the group and slowly they began drifting toward the nearby side door to the school. By ones and twos they crept through the castle and gathered once more in the room that been their training room, meeting place and base of operations. It looked much as it always had during their tenure with the addition of several tables of refreshments donated by the house elves.

Harry found a seat in the corner for a few minutes and looked around at the gathered witches and wizards. Though many of them were in close contact during the year this was the only time the entire group got together in one place. While it began with memories of the fallen and their time in school it always turned to talk of families and friends. Divested of her traveling robes the news of Ginny's pregnancy spread through the room in heartbeat and Harry received several congratulatory handshakes from the men. That led naturally into Dean and Lavender's daughter and soon photos of Isabella were circulating around the room.

Slowly but steadily they heard from nearly everyone and were once more updated on what had become of their comrades in arms. Harry's attention was drawn to a corner as Artemis Bean, a Ravenclaw from Ginny's year who had been part of Neville's squad, was demonstrating an interesting little spell that seemed to set a snare trap on the ground. He had headed to America after graduating and joined the Dueling Club. Apparently he was picking up odd things. Given the group's history it was only a few minutes before nearly everyone in the room was attempting to replicate the spell.

After a couple hours of remembering and conversing the group began to take their leave. With final goodbyes and promises to return next year they slipped out the door and away to join the celebrations the rest of the magical world was indulging in. Though Harry felt the tug to join them he held off and was the last to depart with Ginny on his arm. He turned around as Neville closed the door to the Room and watched it fade away. Neville turned from the now blank wall.

"Unitl next year. I've got a few things to take care of before class tomorrow."

"Bye Neville."

"Bye." Ginny and Harry watched as the man headed for the stairs and joined Luna to descend deeper into the castle. Harry glanced over to find a thoughtful expression on her face.

"What?" She tapped her lip for a moment before speaking.

"Those two. It just seems strange to me." Harry shrugged as he pulled her toward the stairs.

"Stranger things have happened. So, shall we head home before the kids vanish your mother or would you like to stalk Neville and Luna for a while?" She glanced up to him as if seriously considering the possibility. A few seconds later her mouth broke into a wide smile.

"We'd better go. If the kids miss the fireworks they'll never forgive us." As they descended the stairs he rolled his eyes toward her.

"The kids? What if _we_ miss the fireworks?" She rolled her eyes at that.

Navigating the ever switching stairs and phantom hallways they reached the lower levels of Hogwarts and eventually the entry way. As they neared the main door a voice called out behind them.

"Mr. Potter!" Not immediately recognizing it, Harry stopped at the top of the stairs and turned around. As he did so he saw a similar questioning look in his wife's eyes. Looking back along the hall his gaze fell on a short, thin man with drawn features wearing dark brown robes striding purposefully toward them. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Glad I caught you." He extended his hand which Harry took after a moment's hesitation. "Gladstone Drake, Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor." Recognizing the name Harry shook his hand more firmly.

"Harry Potter. Former Defense Professor." After disengaging from the man he gestured to Ginny. "And this is my wife Ginny Potter." She also shook the professor's hand firmly. Stepping back the man looked them over.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I wanted to catch you before you left. I heard you might be in the castle today and thought I could steal a minute of your time."

"Not at all Professor. What can we do for you? It's not James is it?" Ginny leaned a little closer at the question but the man shook his head.

"No, no, not at all. Though your boy has shown a talent for Defense my purpose is in fact you." His dark brown eyes focused firmly on Harry. There was a strange focus in them that seemed at once benign and dangerous. Clearly this man had seen some things in his life, the details of which were better left unasked.

"And what is it I can help you with?" The man gestured deeper into the castle where the Defense classroom presumably was.

"Well, I've heard that in previous years you were generous enough to come by and speak to the defense classes about some of the things you've experienced both in the Second War and as an Auror. For obvious reasons it hasn't been necessary the last couple years but I was hoping you might consent to resume the practice this year." Harry could see Ginny watching him intently out of the corner of his eye. He had come in and spoken to previous Defense classes starting a few years after his graduation and continuing right up until he had become Professor himself. As long as even one of the students gained something from his appearance it seemed like a good use of his time. Slowly he nodded to the man.

"Sure. I can do that. When would you like me to be here?"

"Perhaps a week or two? I don't know what your schedule is at the Ministry but any day should work here." Harry considered his schedule for a moment.

"Next Thursday perhaps? Would that work?" The man nodded firmly.

"That would work perfectly. I'll set it up." He extended his hand once more which Harry grasped firmly. "Thank you for your time Mr. Potter. Mrs. Potter. And good day." As they returned his farewell he turned and strode away into the castle leaving the pair once more alone.

"I thought you weren't going to do that anymore. Besides, you taught most of them last year." Harry turned to his wife and shrugged.

"It does some good and besides, they should know about the sort of things the Dark Arts are capable of." She raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"And is that what you learned during Defense? Because I mostly recall reading quietly and listening to fools ramble. Oh, and that one year trying to outfight a professional duelist." Harry smiled as he recalled the times himself.

"There was that year with Lupin. And that's all the more reason to make sure these kids have a better education. Now come on, the fireworks will start in a couple hours and we need to get good seats."

"Fred and George's roof isn't good enough?" Shrugging, he took her hand and started for the door.

"You know what Dora says. There's always a better seat."

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	25. Ch 24: No Longer a Home

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 24

**No Longer a Home**

_Mr. Potter,_

_We have managed to trace Siona's movements for several years_

_after she left the dueling club. It appears she spent much time among_

_aarker members of our kind while hiding as a muggle. Katherine's_

_comrades have been able to trace her muggle activities as she crossed_

_back and forth across the country only staying for any length of time_

_in places well known for their historical magical significance. We've_

_only found a couple of people who admit to having known her. It seems_

_those she associates with are more than happy to forget her once she's gone._

_What we have been able to follow disappears roughly three years ago, _

_six months before the first attack here in the states. Though_

_I am loathe to admit it, it would seem Siona is indeed behind these attacks._

_Given that I thought it warranted to fill you in more completely on what I_

_Know about her. Siona is a cunning individual and an able duelist. Once_

_She sets her mind to something she is extremely difficult to stop._

_However, she does have the weakness of pride and surpassing her, even_

_for a moment, can undo all of her careful planning causing he to resort_

_fo brute force. I believe you experienced that first hand in your defense _

_of Miss Vance._

_You should also be aware that she is a master manipulator and is _

_capable of twisting even the best of intentions to her own ends. It was _

_partly for this reason she was eventually forced out of the Club._

There was a palpable pause in the writing as Harry read and he could almost feel that the man had wanted to say more. However, Keystone had instead addressed more practical matters.

_We should be completing our investigations within a few days and _

_returning to London. I will write again before we arrive._

_Alex_

Harry glanced over the letter once more before folding it carefully and tucking it in his robes. It had arrived just as he was about to leave the house on the way to Hogsmeade and he ha decided to wait until now to glance over it. Rolling the information around in his head he began striding down the silent street in the first rays of a rising sun.

He had arrived early with the intent of speaking with Prfessor Drake before classes began. If he had a rough idea what the man had been teaching the students this year he could better figure out what to talk about.

Hogsmeade was just coming to like as he reached the edge of town. Though primarily there in support of and to profit from the school it was still a rural town and had all the concerns of such. Smiling at the thought Harry's gaze began sweeping the grounds around Hogwarts. Though he had been here just a week ago his eyes still sought any changes. Squinting at the clock tower as he approached he found he still had a few minutes to spare and decided on a whim to stop by Hagrid's. The man was always up early tending his ever growing array of strange and exotic animals for the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Waving his wand to clear a path Harry started down the hill.

As he approached the hut he saw no signs of Hagrid but there was some activity. A man, thickly built and slightly taller than average was moving between a pair of pens near the hut and handing out dead squirrels to the hippogriffs standing there. Somthign looked vaguely familiar about him but Harry couldn't quite place it. As he got closer he called out. "Hello?" The man turned and Harry once more had the tange sense of recognition. After looking him up and down the taller man's eyes lit up and he stepped forward.

"Mr. Potter! This is a surprise." Harry could only stare at him in confusion. The man seemed to sense it. "Don't recognize me? No, you might not. I was about this tall last you saw me." As he spoke his words flowed ever so slightly in a way that reminded Harry of Fleur. The man held his hand flat at about stomach height. So he would have been younger. About… All at once it clicked in Harry's mind and he stepped forward as well.

"Sean!" The man carfully accepted Harry's extended hand so as not to crush it. Not that he looked the similarity to his father was unmistakable. "I haven't seen you in…four years?" The man nodded slowly.

"That's correct. Dad wanted me to come to Hogwarts, mum said Beuxbaton. They reached a compromise. Four years there, last three here. I join in with the fifth year students this fall. I'm just visiting this week." Harry quickly revaluated his perceptions. Though he had the height and girth of a full grown man the giant blood in his veins had apparently come to the fore and Sean was already over six feet at 15 years old. While he would likely never reach the height of either of his parents, he would still stand a head taller than most. As Harry stepped back he looked around.

"Actually, how is you dad? I was hoping to see him this morning." Sean glanced up to the castle.

"He's already up with the other professors. Some sort of meeting about rearranging classes today." Harry colored slightly as he realized the reason for that. Allowing him to speak to all seven years would mean breaking up the day differently. Harry nodded up toward the castle.

"Then I'd better get going. Nice to see you. Ans say hi to you mother for me." The boy nodded firmly.

"I shall. You know, she still talks about how you won the Tri-Wizard cup. She means to hold another tournament I believe. Wants to win it back." Harry chuckled at the thought.

"As long as I don't have to compete." The boy nodded and turned back to his chores. Harry started the trek upto the gates with faint memories of the last Tri-Wizard Tournament floating though his head. Though forever tinged by the death of Cedric, the competiion had created many positive outcomes. The boy standin behind him was a living example of that.

* * *

"That's an excellent question Miss Williams. Yes, while it is true there are some spells and magical practices that are equal to or worse than the three we've labeled Unforgivables, they are also far more difficult to perform and in many cases only exist in forgotten tomes or locked in the head of the insane. Since these three are all relatively simple to perform and well known it is they that are given the label Unforgivable." Harry looked over the room full of first year students. For the first time today he saw a little awe in the faces of the children before him, with obvious exceptions. They alone hadn't been here when he was professor and as such, we're the only class that wasn't used to being in room with a celebrity.

"Yes, Miss…" Harry pointed to the raised hand belonging to one of three identical girls in three different colored sets of robes sitting close together in the corner.

"Creevey."

"Miss Creevey."

"When you're…fighting dark wizards…what's the most useful spell to know?" He saw several other students lean forward and cock an ear waiting for this piece of information. It was a quation he had been asked many times by friends, fellow Aurors, students, coworkers and even the occasional professor. Every time he gave the same answer and got the same disbelievein response. Harry made a practiced show of considering the answer for a moment before speaking.

"Expelliarmus." Yep. That was the look. Nearly every one in the room was staring at him with disbelief. He was somewhat satisfied to see Professor Drake was merely nodding thoughtfully.

"Really?" The girl sounded as if he had just said something strange about muffins. He nodded firmly in response.

"Yes. The disarming charm. Sounds simple doesn't it? But very few wizards know how to counter it and even fewer are capable of any substantial magic without their wands. So, in the end, one well placed Expelliarmus can end a fight as surely as a killing curse. I know it's saved me on numerous occasions. In fact, it's one of the primary spells I used to survive the many attempts on my life by Voldemort." Invoking the name of his former nemesis had the effect of silencing the class. Though it no longer held the same stigma it had in his youth there was still a sense of awe attached to it.

As they considered the answer Harry could hear the clock strike the hour in the distance. Professor Drake stepped up next to him. "And that is the end of class for the day. Normal Schedule tomorrow and I'll see some of your then. Good bye." With muttered replies the class rose and headed for the door. Harry carefully avoided looking for James. The boy would be under enough pressure and he didn't want to make it worse. Instead he focused on Drake as the man turned those intense eyes to him. "Thank you once more Mr. Potter. I believe the students learned quite a lot today." Harry shook the man's hand as he replied.

"Happy to help. I must say, you seem to be doing an excellent job as their instructor." The man managed a small smile.

"Thank you. But whatever I've been able to impart upon the older students this year is primarily thanks to the work you've put in over the last two." Harry lips rose into a grin. Though he had considered himself a competent teacher there was a bit of pride to be had from hearing it from someone else. "Yes Miss Williams?" Harry glanced to the side and could see Mary standing nearly alone in the classroom some feet away. Beyond her, near the door, Gideon and James were hovering. She gave a little jump as Drake spoke, apparently not realizing she had been seen. The professor finally turned his eyes toward her. She paused for a moment before finding her voice.

"I…I was wondering if Mr. Potter could demonstrate the disarming charm. I've never seen it in action." Harry met the other man's eyes, his eyebrow cocked in the unspoken question. After a moment Drake gave a small nod. Harry turned back to the girl.

"Certainly. Pay attention, I won't be repeating it." Stepping back several feet Harry drew his wand from his sleeve and waited until Drake had done the same. The man had a steely look about him and was clearly bracing for the spell. Mary had stepped somewhat closer and was watching Harry's every movement with interest. Taking a breath he cleared his mind, purposefully resticted the force he put into the charm and aimed.

"Expelliarmus." It had taken a moment's thought to make sure he spoke the name instead of automatically casting silently. The blue bolt shot out and took the man square in the chest just knocking the wind out of him. His wand was blasted lightly free and landed in Harry's outstretched hand a moment later. Returnign the pale wooden tool to its owner he glanced down at the girl who was staring intently. "Okay?" She nodded quickly.

"Thank you sir, Professor." Drake took a deep breath.

"Of course. Now, I believe your friends are waiting." Pausing only a moment longer she turned and rushed to meet them. Once more Harry avoided searching for James. As the trio started down the hall he could just hear his son questioning why she had done that. As the children left the man looked up at him. "I assume you held back? I barely lost my grip." Harry nodded slowly.

"All she wanted was a demonstration. At full force? I'm sure Madam Pomfrey has enough to do." The man actually laughed as he slid his wand into his robes.

"Quite." He looked around the now silent classroom. "So, may I quill you in for next year?" Harry nodded slowly.

"Sure. Assuming something dreadful hasn't happened by then." The man's eyes fell on him once more.

"If there is one thing I have confidence in, it is that you will survive. Now, I've taken enough of your time. Farewell."

'To yourself as well Professor." With a nod the man turned and strode off to his office. Taking a deep breath Harry turned and headed for the door. Pausing for a moment to make sure it was empty, he stepped out into the hall. He wlaked slower through the halls this time than his last couple visits to the castle. Something made him linger in school. As he walked he passed many students rushing this way and that happy at the end of another day.

Harry could see the ease with which event the first years moved around in the structure. He could rememeber it well in his own youth when the school had been more his home than anywhere else. To some extend every student at Hogwarts viewed the school as a home and place that they owned a little part of. As Harry looked around and carefully made his way around clumps of students rushing every which way though he couldn't help but feel somewhat a guest here. Home wasn't Hogwarts anymore. It was Number 12 and Ginny and the kids.

As he watched them something tugged at the back of his mind. There was something about them. The children. They were somehow important. Glancing around the lines between the blocks in the walls drew to his mind the chart the Hermione had created detaioling magical geneology. Lines…and children. There was an important connection he felt he was missing. Something was missing. Something to do with lines and children. He frowned as he paced down the hall trying to figure out what it was.

Before he could however he became aware of a strange noise from a corridor ahead. It was a series of noises alternating between sharp klacks and longer whirrs. There seemed to be an orginzed rhtyum to is and the sound repeated many times growing slightly stronger each time. Harry paused near the top of a staircase and tried to figure out what it was. Wheels maybe? Wheels on the stone?

As he stood there the sound grew steadily louder until it was right on top of him. From around the corner ahead two students, a girl of perhaps fifteen and a younger boy, appeared in a burst of speed. Their feet beat the steady rythum against he the floor an in an instat Harry's seeker eyes had figured out why. Each of them wore a pair of hard plastic boots laced tightly up their ankles. On the bottom of the boots a series of wheels were attached one behind the last and it was their striking the pavement and riding over it that was making the sounds he had heard.

Before he could respond they had reached the top of the stairs at which point the girl lept into the air followed by the boy. One after the other they landed lightly on the edge of the railing, using the wheels of the boots to slide down to the lower floor. Just before they hit the banister they once more leapt off and landed lightly back on the florr before shooting off in a different direction.

Harry was unable to do anything but stare after them fro several minutes. He did manage to vaguely point when Filtch arrived several moments later in hot, if slow, pursuit. It had finally happened. After seven years as a student, two as a professor and countless visits, he had at last seen the absolute strangest thing Hogwarts had to offer. When he finally broke out his stupor he found himself laughing quietly. It was reassuring that even after all these years the old castle could still surprise him.

Finally managing to shake himself to some sort of order he once more continued toward the front door. He glanced back once or twice as he went still not entirely sure he had actually seen what he knew he had. He was still in his slightly disbelieving reverie when he arrived at the front door and to his great surprise found Ron waiting for him. The flat look on the other man's face wiped his mind clear instantly. As he reached his partner Harry's brow furrowed with the unasked quation. Ron responded in a quiet voice.

"Crookly's dead." Harry's eyes shot wide open. "Three of ours are at St. Mungo's and it's even odds whether they'll walk out again. Vance has been wiped and half the Auror corps is screaming bloody murder. The other half is trying to figure out who gave away the address to the safehouse." The information hit Harry like rapid fire slaps to the face. He had been here talking to the children and now at least one person was dead, another victim had been attacked and the he hadn't stopped it. Sudden sharp focus lodges itself in his mind and he knew at once what he had to do.

"Let's go." Ron merely nodded before turning to follow his partner at a walk, a trot and then a dead run across the courtyard ad through the outer gates of the school. They waited for almost a full second once they passed the apparition bariier before turning in place and disappearing.

Harry appeared on a line of windswept rocks that formed the shattered coastline of northern Scotland. Ron appeared several yards to his left on somewhat safer ground. Before them was a small open space an hour's walk from the nearest town where a small house stood. Its battered siding and faded paint were a testament to the weather just as the many charms and repelling wards on it were a testament to its purpose. The ministry had chosen this spot to build one of its safehouses.

Though the structure looked ready to fall down at any moment it was perfectly structurally sound. Its existence and location, and that of its many brothers, was a secret of the Auror corps kept almost as close as that of Azkaban's location. Harry had reviewed the file on each of the people the Ministry had placed into protective custody and was vaguely aware Vance had been placed here. But despite the charms and wards it hadn't worked.

As they drew closer the exact level to shich their protective measures had failed became apparent in the missing corner of the second floor. They were a dozen feet from the building when someone in grey robes stepped out the door, wand drawn and looked them over. "There you are." Seamus raised his wand and indicated the inside of the building with a jerk of his head. Harry felt some need to explain himself.

"Yeah. Came as soon as I heard. I was at Hogwarts talking to the Defense classes." Seamus nodded werily as he gestured further in.

"You needn't have hurried. It was all over hours ago. They missed their lunch check in so Dean and I came up to investigate. When we got here…" he pointed to several places on walls, cupboards, furniture and the ceiling. Years of training and experience let Harry read the tell tale signs of a magical battle. Ron was leaning down to investigate some scorch marks on what was left of a chair.

"Looks like a hell of a fight." Dean nodded as he entered from the hallway.

"It was. At least two hundred spells cast. They didn't go down easy." Beyond him Harry could make out several other Aurors carefully investigating the building. Ron rose from his inspection.

"And yet, even with a four to one advantage, they were crushed." Seamus nodded slowly.

"Yeah. So, have you two figured out what we're up against? Cause it damn sure isn't just some random Dementors. And the thought this is just the one person you encountered is terrifying." Harry cocked his head slightly to the side.

"We think so. It looks like a former American Duelist Club Member who went bad. Though so far we've found now explanation for her incredible strength." The pair stared back at him for a long moment before Seamus let out a low whistle.

"Let's hope you find something soon. Judging by this it'll take half the Auror Corps to stop her." As he finished footsteps could be heard descending the stairs. Harry was surprised to see Martin Turner coming down from the second floor with fear in his eyes.

"Sirs? There's something you'll want to see up here." As eh turned and led the way the four of them followed up the narrow staircase. Emerging on the second floor Harry could see clear out over the sea through the hole that had been blasted in the wall. What Martin directed their attention to however was a section of wall to the right. Though damaged as well the most prominent feature was a message burned into the plaster with a deft hand.

Hide as you will. I will find them all.

And claim them for my own.

Below these lines was a third, this one struck more erratically and cut deeper into the wall going so far as to burn the studs within.

All shall be bound in one

Harry stared at the message for a long time trying to discern any hidden meaning that might be found there. Magically scribing it onto a piece of parchement he stuck the note in his pocket to show to Hermione later. While he considered it Ron turned to Martin.

"Contact the Ministry. Tell them to move the others and their guards. Don't stay anywhere more than a few days and be extra careful not to be seen. Understand?" The man quickly jotted down the message before nodding. "Good. Hurry." Harry could hear Dean speaking behind him.

"Think that will help." Ron shrugged in response.

"Hopefully. At the very least it might keep them safe long enough for us to track her down." Harry turned form the wall and looked over the scene of ruin that lay before him. Four aurors, good ones too, and Siona had managed to walk in and take exactly what she wanted. This had to stop. Soon.

* * *

"There's nothing you could do. It was all over long before you could have intervened." Harry half yelled his response.

"That doesn't make it any easier!" He slashed powerfully with the sword of Godric Gryffindor while driving toward Keystone, his blows trying to find an opening in the man's steel defense. Once more the blows were turned aside and pulled the blade back to a defensive angle while striking out with his wand.

Stepping deftly across the broken island of stone bore down on man in white once more trying everything he could think of to break through his shield of spell and blade. Keystone gave no inch easily and battered on Harry as hard as he received. They had been at it nearly an hour with Harry's recounting of events in fragments and half sentences while they fought.

"Crookly's still dead, the other three may not make it and at least some part of the reason is that I couldn't beat her when we fought!" He drove forward even harder, his blows becoming fast and furious as he switched from sword to wand and back. Some small part of his mind was ringing in warning. It was anger driving his assult now, rage at his own failure. He wanted to win, wanted to hurt Alex, drive him to his knees and crush him. His blows grew more forceful and the former professor was forced to retreat at ever increasing speed.

"And most of it is because she's a vindicitive, murderous bitch who will kill and destroy whatever and whoever is necessary to get what she wants." The man was attacking less and concentrating on defense. This only incensed Harry as it made getting through even more difficult.

"Fight back!" The man smiled an infuriating grin and responded.

"No need. You're getting sloppy. It would be too easy."

"Easy? You…!" Harry increased the power of his spells, struck harderd with the sword, his anger fueling a devestaing attack. Though the man continued to retreat his defnse refused to buckle. Harry could see a calmness in his face and it only caused his rage to increase. He was trying to fight someone and they wouldn't fight back. And yet, he couldn't beat them either.

"Focus Potter. You need to focus." Harry was shaking now and it had nothing to do with the wind and waves battering them. He didn't want to focus, he wanted to fight. He could see the battle with Siona replay itself in his mind and he battered on Keystone as if he was the overpowered witch. The man's voice was serene as she spoke from behind whirling steel and a blurring wand. "Focus Potter. Your hero complex needs focus. Rage will just-"

"SHUT UP!" Harry roared. Focus? Fine. Focus on this! Feeling a wave rise behind him he jabbed out his wand and collected the water. Sending it toward his opponent he waited until it had begun to break around the shield Jeystone had raised before transmuting it all into an avalance of granite. The sudden change smashed through the shield and battered the man with fragments of stone. Weakly jumping clear of the onslougth the man rolled to his knees and tried to raise the sword. But it was too late. Harry was there and already dropping a killing stroke toward the man's shoulder.

Time seemed to slow as Harry stared down at Siona's kneeling form. Finally. He could end it. Stop this madness and protect everyone. He could protect…

'Daddy?' It was Lily, terror in her eyes. That was how she had looked the night…Hedwig had died. In a heartbeat his vision cleared and he saw Keystone kneeling on the stone, eyebrows raised in surprise. Harry threw everything he had left into deflecting the blow and managed to miss the man. The blade arced to the side and cut a deep grove in the stone.

Harry stumbled backward and shook violently, the adrenaline leaving his system in an instant. He dropped the blade and nearly dropped his wand and he stared at nothing and realized what he had almost done. Exhastion filled him and he found himself on his knees, staring at the stone. He didn't know how long it was before he heard Keystone pick up Godric's sword and step closer.

"And that's why you need to learn focus. I knew you were upset and just looking for a fight. The one you didn't have at the safehouse. But I didn't realize how much it was eating at you. I shouldn't have pushed that hard. Here." As Harry strugledled to his feet the man extended the sword toward him. Instead Haryr undid his belt and handed the sheath over.

"Keep it. I can't trust myself with it right now." Keystone nodded slowly before accepting the sheah.

"As you say. I'll keep it safe until you need it."

"Thanks." Harry let out a long breath that drained what little energy he had left. "I'm sorry. I nearly killed you. I don't know what I was thinking."

"I doubt you were. And don't worry. It would take more than that to finish me off." Keystone paused as he glanced around. "You need rest Potter. Go home. Have something to eat. I think you've worked out your agressiong for the moment. Now that you're free of it you can get back to work." Harry nodded firmly.

"Right. Still got to solve this case. Got to track down Siona and put a stop to her."

'Right. Now…" He glanced at the sky and somehow discerned the time. "I've got other things to attend to. Until next time Mr. Potter."

"Until then." Harry disapparated a moment after Alex. Arriving back at Grimmauld he felt lighter despite the fact he was nearly exhausted. He had needed to work out that rage and now his mind felt clearer. Carefully slinging his cloak onto a hook he headed for the staircase. Perhaps there was some food to be had.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	26. Ch 25: Needles and Pins

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 25

**Needles and Pins**

As Harry descended the stairs his eyes looked over the few envelopes resting in front of the door. One bore the insignia of the Harpies, which would be for Ginny. The second was addressed in a firm hand he recognized from his junior Auror training a couple weeks past. That was likely a thank you note. The third however drew his attention immediately. His son's loose script was easily recognizable even at this distance.

Collecting the mail he turned and headed down to the kitchen in search of something for breakfast. Dobby offered him a silent nod and gestured to a basket of muffins sitting on the table. Harry smiled in response and took a seat near them. Pulling one over, he carefully broke the seal on James's letter and perused it while eating.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_Sorry it's been so long since I wrote. We've been really busy_

_with homework lately getting ready for year end tests. They_

_are still months away but we've got tons of homework anyway._

_With all the extra work we barely have time to look around the _

_school. Though Gideon thinks he's found a corridor we haven't_

_explored yet. There are so many hidden passages in this castle_

_we'll never find them all._

_Class is going well though Professor Montoya has been a little_

_jumpy lately. The other day she nearly drank a vile of Draught_

_Of Living Death before Mary noticed it. She says she's just _

_distracted but I think something is going on._

_It also seems like something is going on with Nev- Professor_

_Longbottom. For the last few weeks he's been smiling a lot _

_more and almost bouncing during class. Mary thinks he's in_

_love but what would she know about it? Gideon and I think_

_he's been into some of the more dangerous plants and…_

Harry continued reading as he finished off his second muffin. Reaching the end of the letter he folded it carefully, placed it back in the envelope and set it with the other mail for his wife to read. "Excellent once more Dobby" The elf turned and bowed.

"Thank your sir. I will be sure to tell Winky."

"Good." Rising from the bench Harry turned and climbed back up the three flights of stairs to his room. As he closed the door he found Ginny, freshly showered, leaving the bathroom. "Morning." She returned his smile as she turned toward the wardrobe.

"Morning. You're up early."

"Yeah. Couldn't sleep." She paused while searching through her clothes. A moment later she looked over her shoulder.

"Anything you want to talk about?" He shook his head slowly.

"Not at the moment. Later maybe." She stared at him for several long seconds before nodding and returning to the clothing.

"Okay. When you're ready." She pushed several blouses aside with a frustrated grunt. "Darnn. None of these fit now." As she stood with hands on her hips staring at the cloths Harry stepped up behind her and threaded his arms through hers, his hands coming to rest on her bulging stomach.

"Can't you just enlarge them?" She shook her head quickly.

"No. They never look quite right. Mum could do it but I don't have the knack. Just have to wear loose robes I guess." Harry smiled as he held her.

"Well, when you do decide on something to wear, there's a letter from our eldest on the table downstairs." She half turned to look at him.

"Oh? Anything interesting?"

"He thinks something is up with Professor Longbottom. But he's not sure what." Harry could feel his wife chuckling silently.

"Oh, I think we both know what's 'up' there." Harry cocked an eyebrow and feigned a harsh tone.

"Such talk is unbecoming of a lady with child." She turned fully around and stared square into his eye.

"And how exactly do you think a lady becomes with child?" Harry chuckled as she broke into a grin.

"If we had more time I'd be happy to demonstrate. Unfortunately, I have a prior appointment." His face grew somewhat somber and was matched by hers as she remembered what the appointment was.

"They're awake?"

"One of them. It's been two days and the Healers at St. Mungo's still aren't sure the other two will come around."

"Here's hoping."

"Yeah." He stepped back and let his arms pull free. "Speaking of which…" With a raised hand he summoned his cloak. "I'll see you tonight." She nodded firmly. "Love you."

"Love you too." Forcing himself to turn Harry headed out the door and down to the entryway.

* * *

"And I remind you once more to do nothing that will agitate the patient. Ms. Whint is awake but still very weak. Undue excitement could undo all we've managed so far. Understand?"

"Of course."

"Yes ma'am." Harry nodded as he followed the Healer through the halls of the magical hospital. He glanced over to Ron and could see a calm focus in his eyes as they continued on. They had each had reason to come here many times over the years. Some were terrible memories of Percy under Tom's control or the desperate rush to save Arthur whilst others brought a smile to his thoughts such as the birth of his children.

They ascended the stairs and reached the spell damage ward in short order. As they entered the guide gestured to once of the beds at the far end where the curtain had been drawn most of the way around. "She's been fading in and out but she seems lucid. A few minutes shouldn't hurt."

"Thank you." Harry nodded once more as he stepped past her with Ron on his heels. Hesitating for only a moment at the curtain he slowly drew it partially aside and neared the bed. A middle aged woman was laying there, blanket pulled up to her chin with her eyes half open. As Harry leaned closer her eyes opened a little wider and looked them over. "Allison? Are you awake?" Her gaze drifted slowly between them.

"Harry…Ron. So…I'm not dead?" Harry shook his head and managed a weak smile.

"No. You're at St. Mungo's." She managed a slow nod in response.

"The others?" Harry glanced back to Ron who gestured out to the ward.

"Crookly…didn't make it. The others are here. Still unconscious." She closed her eyes and muttered something silently. Harry waited several long moments before speaking.

"Can…can you remember anything about what happened?" Her eyes flew open and he could see the terrible memories dancing across them. "Anything at all?" Allison drew a deep breath.

"Yes. Yes I can. Give me a moment." Harry pulled a chair into existence and sat near the bed. He heard Ron do the same and lean in as well. "It was just after breakfast. Crookly and I were on lookout upstairs when a lone figure appeared on the beach wandering this way and that, At first we thought she was a lost tourist or some sort of vagabond. As she got closer however we became increasingly concerned. After what you two had reported in the previous attacks everyone on the protection details had taken to describing everyone they saw out loud so we could make sure we were seeing the same thing.

"When she got close enough I started describing her to Crookly. It clashed with the vision he had of a tall Irish man. We had just descended to the back steps and were about to approach when the first spell came at us." She fell silent and Harry could once more see the scene playing behind her vision. "After that…it's a blur. Power. Such terrible power. We fought back, but I don't think we ever really stood a chance." Her head rolled to the side and Harry could hear the near silent tremors running through her. Once more he waited but was eventually forced to speak.

"Was there anything strange you remember about her? Other than her strength?" Ever so slowly the woman's head rolled back and her eyes focused on him.

"Yes. She didn't use a wand." He turned to meet Ron's gaze and found the same questions there. "She had a…staff. We thought it was just a walking stick at first then she used it like a quarterstaff. Used it to cast spells, to block our attacks." Harry leaned closer, his curiosity peaked.

"What did it look like?" Allison swallowed hard before responding.

"Black. Dead black. The black of death. I would have thought it was made of charred wood that would crumble to dust at any moment but no spell could damage it and every blow that landed rang like a funeral bell. Over…and over…" She drifted off and her gaze grew distant. Harry reached down and squeezed her hand but received no response.

"Thank you. We'll get her. I promise." She might have nodded in between long breaths. Harry released her hand, dismissed the chair and rose. They would get nothing else from her today. Best to let her rest. Motioning toward the door he followed Ron out of the ward. Once they were on the steps the taller man glanced over to him.

"That's just eerie." Harry nodded as they neared the entryway.

"Eerie doesn't even begin to describe it. This is evil. Pure evil. We have to stop her."

"Agreed. First though, we have to figure out how. She took down four Aurors with almost no effort. If this gets any worse it'll be the Second War all over again." Harry let out a long slow breath.

"That won't happen." Though he sounded determined Harry in truth had no idea how to go about the task of defeating this particular witch. At least with Tom he had had Dumbledore to offer some insight. This time it was once more down to them.

Stopping for lunch on the way the pair made their way back to the Ministry and found a message waiting for them on their arrival. It was addressed in Keystone's precise strokes and bore his handwriting within as well.

_Mr. Potter, _

_Katherine believes she has found a lead on Siona in_

_Britain. Using her contacts in the local muggle law_

_enforcement offices she had them keep an eye out for_

_anyone matching the description. It looks like Siona_

_is using a flat near Bath as her base of operations. I've_

_included the address below and Katherine expects you_

_within the hour. I have a lead of my own to follow up_

_and will join you as soon as I can._

_Keystone_

Glancing down Harry found the address lower on the note before passing it over to Ron. While his partner read it he quickly removed his work robes and grabbed a muggle jacket. For so many months they had been chasing phantoms and reacting instead of acting to stop this woman, it felt good to have a target in mind. With a little luck they might be able to put an end to it. Between Ron, himself and Alex they should be able to subdue Siona. Or kill her, his mind added after a moment.

"You want me to call for backup? If we surprise her a couple extra Aurors couldn't hurt." Harry glanced over to his partner before nodding slowly.

"Good idea. See if there's anyone local first. They'll know the area better. Have them meet us there."

"Will do." Ron grabbed his own jacket as he headed out of the office to seek out some aid. Harry took a long minute to thoroughly check himself before locking down the room and heading out. He wanted to make absolutely sure he had everything he might need. Most of all he triple checked his wand up his sleeve. It had served him well for decades and he knew it wouldn't fail now. He briefly considered owling Ginny but finally decided against it. Either way it was better if she didn't know until it was over.

Some of the junior Aurors noticed the grim set of his features and stepped briskly aside as he headed for the elevator. Clanging to the bottom he found Ron waiting with a similar focus on his face. "Found a couple. McMullin and Reedy. They're part of the local Ministry staff. They'll meet us there in a few minutes."

"Good. You ready?" Harry glanced over as he signed out at the security desk. Ron nodded firmly. "Me too. Let's go." Taking a few steps away they turned in place and disappeared from the Ministry.

Harry instinctively crouched a bit as he appeared in the bedroom of a small flat. In a heartbeat he had looked around and made sure all was as it should be. They had apparated to a Ministry safe house just a few blocks from their destination. It was protected by several charms and was part of a series of transfer points they maintained throughout the Isles. It made getting around considerably easier in those places they didn't have an official presence and popping in near some muggles could prove a problem.

Leading the way he exited the bed room and then the flat with Ron in tow. Checking that they weren't observed they locked the door behind them with the provided key. Though repelling charms would keep the muggles away it was still best to do things properly. Finding the stairs they descended the two flights to ground level and emerged onto the street in a light rain.

Forcibly stopping himself from creating a shield charm to protect himself Harry instead stuck a hand into his coat and pulled a small umbrella into existence. Ron smiled at the move before doing it himself. Having settled that difficulty they looked up at the street signs and found they needed to turn right.

"So…what so we do if she's there?" Harry turned away from a gust of wind as he answered and wished for a pair of gloves.

"If we can get the drop on her we might be able capture her before she knows we're there. If not…I'd say we have one hell of a fight on our hands. First priority is to get away from here if we can. That sort of battle could wreck the whole block."

"And kill a lot of people."

"Exactly. Don't suppose you have any brilliant strategic ideas?" Ron pondered the situation for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not beyond what you already know. Against a certain level of power any plan is nearly worthless. We just have to fight with everything we've got and stop her. This can't go on." Harry nodded solemnly as he continued on through the rain and wind. It seemed to him perfect weather for their business.

The pair slowed as they approached their destination. It was small building, just three floors, in the warehouse district that had been converted into loft flats. Harry looked it over with a trained eye trying to see all the ways into and out of it. He heard Ron mumbling them to himself.

"Fire ladder, widows you could climb through. Nearby rooftops… If she runs we'll have a heck of time cornering her."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Mr. Potter. Mr. Weasley." They turned to find agent Patinkin stepping out of the shadows in a nearby ally. Harry started in surprise that he hadn't seen her as she approached. Her collar was turned up and a wide brimmed hat guided the rain off her head. She extended a hand as she reached them. "Glad you could make it."

"Of course."

"Any time." She gestured toward the flat.

"I've been watching it for a while now. No one in or out, no movement inside that I've seen. Not that that means much with your people." She stared at the building for a long moment. "Really changes the game when there's magic involved." Harry nodded slowly.

"Yeah. Yeah it does. Shall we?" The others answered with a nod and followed as he slipped up the street keeping to what shadow there were. As they neared the structure he carefully looked around but his eyes picked up nothing out of the ordinary. It was a good choice for a hideout. Lonely, isolated and the nearby construction would mask any odd noises.

"Should we wait for back up? The others should be here in just a minute." Harry considered it as they shuffled across the empty street toward their destination.

"No time. If we need them, they shouldn't have a problem finding us." Ron nodded firmly. Though their tendency to strike out half planned had been checked considerably by years in the Corps there always existed a bit of independence in their Gryffindor hearts.

Reaching the building they slipped down an alley on the east side. A few seconds later Harry found what he sought in a small side door built into an otherwise flat wall of red brick. "We could jimmy it open. There's a pipe over there." Ron shook his head.

"Better idea. Cover me." As the others kept watch he approached the door and stealthily drew his wand. "_Alohamora_." The metallic click of locks disengaging met their ears as the man pulled the door open and held it for them to enter. Harry's umbrella disappeared back into his pocket as he entered and looked around. To the side he heard the agent muttering.

"Never going to get used to that." Only a pair of weak bulbs illuminated the narrow hallway and they had to walk single file toward the service stairway. Harry led the way with his wand drawn and Patinkin at his heels. Ron brought up the rear, his wand sweeping the hall behind them. Risking a charm to deaden their footsteps made their climb up the stairs nearly silent.

With a glance through the small window set in the door between the stairs and the third floor hallway Harry pushed it open and emerged into the hallway proper. Still here it was quiet and empty. If anyone else had lived here Siona seemed to have driven them off. Or worse.

After what seemed an eon they arrived as the simple wooden door they sought behind which might reside the deadliest opponent of recent memory. Ron set himself to cover the opening as Harry prepared to blow it open. With a sharp nod between them Harry raised his wand, sliced carefully in the air to cut any mundane locks on the passage and raised his foot to kick the wood.

It gave way with one well placed strike and nearly came off its hinges. With no immediate response from within they advanced with practiced steps and were soon several feet into a dirty, run down flat that features only scant furniture and dressings. Harry kept his wand raised as Ron rushed forward to check the pair of adjoining rooms. In the few seconds they had been through the door each had blanketed the area in several charms designed to reveal the presence of another, detect disillusionments and a host of other effects designed to ferret out anyone hiding within.

"Clear!" Satisfied the place was indeed empty Harry motioned Patinkin in. A chair, table and sofa were the only furniture in the main room and he could just see a beat up bed in the room beyond Ron as the man came back out to join them. Glancing around Harry was at a loss at the seeming emptiness.

"Huh. I thought there'd be something here. More than this at least. What do you think Ron? Ron? Ron." His partner had stopped nearby and was staring past him with wide eyes. "What is it?" The man merely raised his hand and pointed toward the wall. Confused, Harry turned around. As he did so his jaw dropped.

The wall on either side of the door was adorned with a massive network of information. On the left side thousands of lines connected hundreds of boxes to each other in a shape that looked strangely familiar. On the right a massive map of the British Isles was tacked up and had dozens of thumbtack stuck in it indicating various locations or pinning scraps of parchment to the wall nearby. It took Harry long enough to get over his shock that Patinkin was the first to closely examine the map.

"Hm. Names, addresses, schedules. She put a lot of effort into this."

"It shows." Ron stepped up beside her and began looking over the map as well. "Everyone she's attacked and quite a few she hasn't." His eyes drifted to the top of the map. "Vance. Somehow, she knew." He studied it for several long moments. "Looks to be the newest writing judging by the ink. No immediate indication where's she going next. I'll keep looking."

"You…do that." While his partner helped Patinkin search the map Harry was transfixed by the other wall. Stepping closer he could begin to make out the words, names, that filled each of the little boxes. Only a moment's study had shown him that this was in fact a huge map of the magical bloodlines within the country. Though not as well organized or precise as Hermione's he was sure it was no less thorough.

With quick glances he began to search the lines and found the names of several victims first circled then crossed out. As his gaze drifted down the chart his eyes caught on something. It took a moment for him to find it once more. 'Tom Riddle aka Voldemort' was written in one of the boxes. Though that was peculiar the thing that caught his eye made him call Ron over. "Hey, check this out." Ron steeped away from the map and moved closer.

"What is it? Voldemort huh? Stange but….what else?"

"Right here, it's-"

"Sorry we're late gentlemen. Thought we'd catch you outside." They looked up as a pair of Aurors, obviously McMullin and Reedy, entered and looked around. Harry waved off the concern.

"Don't worry about it. We decided not to wait. Figured you'd be able to find us if we needed you." One of them nodded.

"Of course sir. So, what are we looking at?" Ron gestured around.

"Not entirely sure yet. Looks like a base of operations, but it could be abandon. Can you two check the other rooms and see if there's anything left?" The nodded simultaneously.

"On it." Moving on they left the trio to their work.

"So, what was it you fond?" Harry drew his attention with a gesture and pointed to Tom's name. He then pointed to a line descending from it and leading to another box with a question mark in it. A second line led up from this box and connected to one that had the name Marie written in it. No further connection trailed away from that box however and it merely left them confused. "Well, that doesn't make any sense." Harry shrugged.

"She probably just made a mistake. Now come on, look for a name that's circled but not crossed out. That's likely her next target." As they carefully scanned the parchment starting at the top Ron's gaze was distracted by something tacked up near the door. Pulling it free he looked at the corner where a piece of the page had been torn away.

"Hey, Harry? You still have that torn corner of parchment Keystone gave us?" Harry turned away from the chart and settled his gaze on his partner.

"Uh…yeah. Just a minute." Pulling out his notebook he flipped through it. The small piece of parchment fluttered out and his reflexes just barely caught it. "Here you go. Why?" Ron held up the sheet.

"I think I found where it goes." There was a strange look in the corners of Ron's eyes that made him focus intently on the paper. Holding it carefully he put the corner back in place and read the first few lines slowly. As he did so fear began to creep into the back of his mind.

_There can be no doubt that if my plan is to succeed one of primary targets must be James Potter._

_The confluences of bloodlines not just modern but back to the founders he represents is a crux_

_of the entire plan. Given the magical strength of his family I will wait until he reaches Hogwarts_

_It would be the best place to stage an attack, far away from his parents, especially his_

_highly regarded father. In order to facilitate this…_

Faster than Ron he whirled back to the chart, his eyes desperately seeking his own name. "Where, where, where is it?" Ron pointed past him a moment later. "There…." His eyes tracked downward and found what he had been dreading. James's name was below his and circled heavily. Time seemed to slow as he began to turn. He could feel his heart beating in his chest.

Beat. How had they missed this? Hermione would never have missed such an obvious fact. Of course their children were at stake. With such proud ancestries they would _have_ to be valuable to Siona.

Beat. But he would have seen it too. He was there, so was Ron. Why, he's leaned right down close to the chart to make sure he didn't miss anything. He'd leaned so close he'd had to…

Beat. Brace himself on the table. Their names. His name. In his memory he looked down. His name, Ginny's…their children. He'd leaned right over them. It hadn't even occurred to him. They were in danger because he hadn't even noticed.

Beat. Siona was after James. He had to stop her.

Beat. Beat. Beat, beat, beat… Harry could see the identical thoughts rolling through Ron's eyes and he was making for the door before he even realized it. Patinkin had noticed his frenzied behavior.

"What?" He turned and yelled.

"Contact the Ministry! Get everyone to Hogwarts."

"What's going on!" He grabbed hold of the door frame to pull himself forward. His voice was nearly a desperate cry backward.

"She's after my son!"

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	27. Ch 26: What She Sought

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

* * *

Chapter 26

**What She Sought**

Harry tore down the hallway and it was impossible to tell which was louder: the beating of his heart or his footfalls on the wood. His panic was strong enough that it took several moments to realize he needn't run yet. With a desperate cry of realization he turned in place and disapparated.

Falling back into reality a moment later he felt something solid press against his chest. He had apparated to the exact edge of the barrier around Hogwarts castle and nearly gone too far. It was fortunate he had helped McGonagall renew the barrier the previous year or he would have overshot and been bounced back. As his feet once more resumed their desperate rush toward the main gate he was vaguely aware of a loud crack further down the hill indicating Ron had successfully followed him though not cut his arrival nearly as close.

"Harry! Wait up!" Harry spared no words for his partner. He had to find James. Right now. He nearly wished for his broom despite the added danger of trying to fly in the castle.

Approaching the front gates he could see several students milling about in the courtyard. His mind worked hard to place names to faces as he slid to a halt and nearly ran several over. As he had approached they had raised hands in greeting though the look on his face had wiped all thought of it from their minds.

"James Potter!" They looked at him with confusion in their eyes for a moment before he managed to gulp down some air. "Have you seen James Potter? Have you seen my son?" The students hurriedly looked amongst themselves but only a flurry of shaken heads met his gaze.

"Sorry Mr.…" but he was already gone and rushing toward the front door. Ron dashed by a moment later, a lanky streak of red.

"Thank you…" He barely got the words out as he pursued his friend. He caught up as Harry nearly bowled over a pair of first years coming out into the day. He slid several feet across the flagstone before doubling back and repeating his question. They also shook their heads causing his face to become even more distraught. This was taking too long. He looked around for a moment before drawing his wand and touching it to his own throat. His words roared across the few students in the entryway, tore down the hallways and crashed across the Great Hall like a tidal wave.

"HAS ANYONE SEEN JAMES POTTER?" Harry felt a hand at his wand and found Ron physically pulling his arm down.

"Calm down just a bit. You're doing more harm than good right now." His voice was low and ragged from the run but somehow cut through Harry's desperation. He took a long breath and tried to focus.

"Mr. Potter! What is the meaning of this?" Headmistress McGonagall had appeared near the top of the stairs and was even now looking harshly over the top of her spectacles at him. Harry had focused enough to meet her evenly stare for stare.

"She's here. The one that's been hunting us down. And she's after James." The woman's hand rose to her mouth.

"Oh Merlin…" In a heartbeat she had recovered herself and her sharp eyes picked out a pair of nearby students. "Arthur! Round up the other prefects, all students to their dormitories. Nancy, go to the faculty office. Tell them I said 'Fawkes'. Understand? Go!" With sharp nods the two broke off in opposite directions. Her gaze returned to Harry. "Now, we need to find-"

"I saw him." The voice was small but firm and came from a young girl in Slytherin robes standing near the stairs that lead deeper into the castle. She flinched under the sudden scrutiny but held her ground. Harry nearly slid across the floor to kneel in front of her.

"Where? Where did you see him? When? Are you sure it was him?" She stared at him for a long moment before nodding.

"I'm sure. He was with Gideon and that girl they're always with heading toward the dungeons. I saw them on my way up about twenty minutes ago." She had barely finished when Harry nearly crushed her in a hug.

"Thank you!" He rose and started down the stairs. "Come on Ron!" His friend glanced up toward the Headmistress for a moment but she waved him on.

"Go. I'll take care of things here and send the reinforcements on." Ron nodded and began descending the stairs two at a time. As he turned the corner Harry could just hear the woman's voice. "Miss Creevey, please go to the greenhouses and tell Professor Longbottom he is needed in the dungeon." If the girl said anything in response it was lost in the echoing footfalls as they dashed down the darkening corridors.

As Harry thundered down the strangely unfamiliar part of the castle he wished desperately that had the Marauder's Map with him at this moment. It was a pointless thought however. He hadn't even looked at the thing in months and it was safely stowed in the small box on his desk at home. That idea brought up the nagging thought that he should have told Ginny at some point on his way here. It would have to wait. He needed all his focus right now.

His head whipped left and right as he shot along corridors searching for any sign of his quarry. Where the torches failed he raised his wand and lit the area. More than once a rat or some other creature scurried off as he approached with an incandescent stick in his hands. Desperation and futility began to set in as he continued on. Of all the places in Hogwarts, the dungeons were the area he knew the least. He wasn't even sure how big they were. He cursed himself for the lack of knowledge. You would think after all this time Harry Potter would get a clue. It always comes back to the school when he was involved.

Momentarily distracted by that concept he nearly missed the piece of scarlet fabric caught next to one of the unmarked doors. Ron shot past him as he skidded to a halt and headed down the hall toward it. He had just reached the piece, a small scrap torn off by a particularly jagged stone, when Ron arrived beside him.

"Scarlet. Gryffindor colors. You think?" Harry took a short breath and reached for the door handle.

"Let's find out." Pushing open one side of the double doors he stepped into a good sized room. With a flick of his wand he cast two balls of light that illuminated the space and revealed very little other than cobwebs and dust. The dust however was telling. At least three sets of shoe prints, small shoe prints, milled around the room several times before continuing on down a long hallway. "Come on." Ron grabbed his arm.

"Wait." He glanced back with confusion and anger.

"What?" Ron pointed his wand at the door and blocked it open. A moment later a banner unfurled across the opening with words printed on the far side. Harry could just read them through the fabric. 'Ron and Harry went this way.' "Good thinking. Now can we go?" Ron nodded firmly and headed down the corridor at a quick trot. Once more light was scarce and Harry had to illuminate it with his wand. He set balls of light in place as he passed, saving anyone following the trouble.

After several hundred feet they could see faint light ahead illuminating thick columns just beyond the hall. Harry's ears could just hear a young girl's voice. "Luminos. Come on! Luminos!" The light grew a little brighter. "Hang on. We'll be okay. Just hang on." The desperation in her voice drove Harry on and the pair nearly exploded into the room with wands ablaze.

It took his eyes a long moment to recognize the beaten and battered form or Mary Williams crouched down next to the prone figure of a young boy. A young boy with red hair. His heart simultaneous leapt that it was not his son lying there and fell as he realized that meant it was-

"Gideon!" Ron slid to his knees next to the pair and leaned close to his son's face. Harry knelt beside Mary a moment later. "Gideon. Speak to me. Say something. Please." The boy's eyes moved in different directions and his mouth twitched but emitted no words. Ron looked up to the girl with tears fresh in his eyes. "What happened?" Mary jumped back at his ferocity and Harry placed a steadying hand on her shoulder while motioning to Ron to back off. In the most moderate tone he could manage he spoke to the girl.

"Mary. What happened?" The girl wiped tears off her face and took a shaky breath.

"A woman. I don't know who. We came down here because James wanted to see where the door led. We tried to fight back. We did!" He nodded slowly.

"I'm sure you did. What happened next?"

"She…she was so powerful. She stunned Gideon and threw us both out here. I tried to go back but she sealed the door and… I tried to drag him and get help. But he's heavy and I can't seem to make my levitate charms work and it was so far and…" Harry checked his rage as much as he could and managed to speak once more.

"Mary…where is James?" After a moment the girl slowly raised her arm and pointed toward another set of double doors leading out of the columned room.

"Through there. And the room beyond. With her…" Harry glanced to Ron and an entire conversation passed between them in a moment.

"Go. I'll keep an eye on these two until Neville arrives." Harry nodded and raised his wand. "Good luck."

"Thanks." With only another second of hesitation he approached the doors and pushed through them. He emerged into another room much like the last, large, columns along the walls and another set of doors across the way. These he approached more carefully. As he crossed the room the doors shut behind him cutting off Ron's attempts to soothe the children. Studying the door as he approached Harry could see it had indeed been magically sealed. Though breaking through it would have been a daunting and likely impossible task for a first year to overcome, to a trained Auror it might as well have been the latch on a garden gate.

Smashing the enchantment aside he nearly smashed the door as well and continued on to a short hallway. Instead of running he took strong, measured strides that helped conserve his strength. He was going to need every bit of it to win. As he neared the far the end of the hallway he could hear two people speaking. Their voices resonated around the stone chambers.

"Stay back!" James. Harry took his first full breath in what felt like hours. His son's command was met with a light laughter. This was not joyful though. It was a cold and dark laughter that seemed to speak of cruelty.

"Or what?" It was a woman's voice. Colder than Bellatrix's and more confident that Headmistress McGonagall's. "Even with your vaunted father, son of the famous Harry Potter, you've but a year's schooling and no concept of how strong I am. Go ahead. Do your best."

"Stupify." Harry could see the flash as the spell was cast and once more heard the laugh.

"See. You have no hope. But since you are so amusing, I'll give you a choice young Potter. Give up and I'll spare your little friend and that girl out there crying her poor little eyes out. Or, you can keep up your pointless resistance. If you do, then when I'm done with you, I'll kill him, torture her into madness and then death, and finally, being this entire castle down ON THEIR HEADS!" In spite of himself Harry paused now wanting to hear James's reaction. Would his son, alone in the dark where no one would ever know make the same choice he would?

From his vantage point in the darkened hall Harry could see much of the room. It was large with much of the space sunken some ten or more feet into the floor while a flight of broad steps just wider than the corridor descended to meet it. In the center stood a woman dressed in black, tight fitting robes, with long flowing black hair. In her hand she held a staff the color of charred wood that seemed to drink in what little light came near it. Beyond her, dressed in his Gryffindor robes, James stood against the wall, wand raised in defiance. In the moment it took James to respond Harry took in all these details.

"Fine. I understand." The woman's head cocked to the side.

"You'll surrender?" Harry paused once more, not sure which was the better choice, but knowing what he would do.

"Never. They never would. And if they ever found out I gave up, I'd never live it down. If you want me, you'll have to kill me." The woman seemed momentarily perplexed by this response. She shrugged before continuing.

"So be it. I would have left you alone when I was finished James Potter. But now…you will die." She raised the staff a few inches. "I should have known better from studying your parents. You truly are your father's son." James seemed to smile a little at that.

"Yes he is." Harry stepped out of the hall and into the light of the room, wand raised, shield charms cast.

"Dad!" The single word echoed around the room the woman spun around and raised her staff in both hands. He could now see the bronzed complexion, the icy eyes and twist of her lips. She looked him over with a considering eye.

"Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived. I would have left you alone Harry. Once I had what I wanted, I would have left your whole country alone. But I know you. You'll fight, to the death if necessary, to stop me. It's who you are." She paused for a moment and looked between them. "I've come too far and accomplished too much to stop now. Even if it means facing you. With immortality just one child away, I won't let you stop me." Harry managed to cock an eyebrow and sound almost flippant.

"Immortality? It always comes down to that, doesn't it? Lady, I've faced off with Voldemort. When it comes to seeking immortality, you're strictly small potatoes compared to him." He could see anger growing on her face. Good. If he could keep her focused on him he could get James to safety and buy time for others to arrive.

"Am I? We'll see if others share your opinion when I kill the Boy Who Lived. And your son." Now it was Harry's turn to show anger.

"Never!" His wand slashed and sent a volley of tiny silver darts cascading toward her. With a slash of her staff they scattered and disappeared. She cast a stunning spell that bounced off his shields. Harry took the stairs in careful steps as they dueled, his reflexes helping keep his feet several times. Reaching flat ground he was able once more to focus entirely on the fight.

And fight they did. With a focus and ferocity Harry could only compare to the days of the Second War spells and curses shot back and forth, crashing against shields, splintering as they were countered or often blasting parts of the stone walls to pieces. In only a few moments the walls were marked in a dozen places, stone chips littered the floor and a thin haze of dust filled the chamber.

Harry tried at several points to get a closer look at his son but Siona's skills demanded all of his attention. Her spells were powerful, if sloppy. Though they came at him with the force of a hurricane they were far less focused often only targeting his general area. He could feel the wasted effort as it washed around him and into the stone. If she had focused all of the power she was using into a more concentrated area it would have been significantly harder to stop. It was perhaps a weakness he could exploit.

On the other hand, she did seem to have power to burn. Despite his training Harry was slightly winded even though the duel had lasted only a couple minutes. The long run through the school had drained him but it shouldn't have made this much of a difference. Siona however was still moving easily around and hadn't even started sweating.

A series of blasts tore toward him and threw him into a rolling dodge. The wall behind where he had been standing exploded in a dozen places with new craters the size of his head. That had been a lot more focused.

And somehow, she was doing all this without a wand. That was the part that kept picking at the back of his mind. Instead every spell seemed to be directed by movements of her staff as it whirled and stabbed toward him. Somewhere the more inquisitive part of his mind sought a connection between the larger size of the staff and the unfocused nature of her spell casting. He might have to pursue it later. If he survived.

With a flourish of the charred weapon she flicked away a dozen rapid fire attacks he launched at her. As she did so Siona let out a little laugh and twirled a few steps back. When no further assault followed Harry took the moment to catch his breath behind a shield. He managed to slow his breathing down and glanced over to where James was standing.

The boy still had his wand out though it was hanging at his side. A look of awe was spread across his face as he gazed back and forth between the combatants. Harry focused his voice enough to speak.

"James? James. Are you all right?" The boy took several seconds to respond but eventually managed to focus on his father. He nodded uncertainly and raised his wand once more. It almost made Harry smile. Though the boy had already been proven far out of his league, he was still making an effort. His son swallowed hard and focused on Siona, apparently searching his memory for anything that might help. Harry turned his gaze back to Siona as she laughed again. It was a cold heartless laugh and seemed to drink in what warmth the room had held. Harry once again felt the overwhelming sense of dread radiating from her.

"I must say Mr. Potter, you've provided far more of a challenge than your associates. Even four of them weren't able to stand against me as well as you alone. Though…I understand you've had a rather busy history when it comes to combat." Her eyes tracked to James for a moment. "And I suppose you have some motivation at this moment." Harry settled himself once more and focused.

"I'm just getting warmed up."

"Good. Because I would hate to think you're almost spent. This is the most fun I've had in years. So many witches and wizards…they just don't know how to fight. Sure they can raise a shield and cast a few offensive spells but they don't know how to fight." Harry's eyes flicked to a bit of shadow in the doorway and he felt sudden courage.

"So you want a real fight?" She actually smiled a dead, thin lipped smile.

"Certainly. If you're going to die, and let your son die, I want to see your best moves." Harry's lips slowly curved up into a smile.

"Best moves? Okay…here's one I'm quite fond of. Knight…to my side." At that moment Ron dropped the disillusionment charm and appeared stepping down the stairway. With a smirk on his face he finished descending the stairs and took his place next to Harry.

"I must say…I've always admired this particular move. You play it much better on the battlefield than on the board. Shall we?" He raised his wand and created a shield to cover both of them. Harry nodded, dropped his shield and prepared to attack.

"Good to see you Ron. Neville arrived?"

"Of course. How's it been going?"

"Same as always."

"That bad? Well. Let's see if we can change that." Siona watched the exchange and frowned slightly.

"If you two are quite finished…?" She waited a moment longer before whirling the staff and launching another set of crater causing blasts at them.

With Ron providing cover Harry was finally able to focus on driving home his attacks. He did so with renewed fervor now that he had time to catch his breath. For all the focus however it didn't seem to matter. Siona's twirling staff still effortlessly deflected everything he threw at or near her. And that was something else as well. She blocked. A lot. She didn't dodge. Harry felt certain it was a weakness. Now he just had to figure out how to take advantage of it.

Sliding past each other the pair of Aurors exchanged rolls and Harry took up shielding duties while Ron launched his own assault. The man had several tricks Harry had never perfected and for a moment it looked like they might work on Siona. A minute's test however showed that she adapted just as readily to them. Harry could hear him whispering between attacks.

"Getting winded. Can't keep this up. She's too strong." Harry responded in kind, trying to disguise his words as grunts of concentration.

"Can't give up. Make it last. Back up." Ron nodded and they switched rolls once more. All through the combat Harry had been trying to move around to put himself between Siona and James. Every time he got close she managed to drive him away once more. It was growing increasingly frustrating. Even now they were once again standing with their back to the stairs, the boy no closer than he had been when they entered.

A moment later the staff jerked and nearly left her hand causing her to turn and stare harshly where James was standing, his wand raised, a look of surprised satisfaction on his face that he had not only used the disarming charm but that it had connected. Ron and Harry took the moment to recover for all it was worth and directed simultaneous attacks at her exposed back. Instead of turning and spinning her staff she merely raised a shield of impressive power around her entire form and blocked the attack without even turning her head.

At last the staff rose and stabbed out at James. A blue bolt crashed into his chest, ripped his wand away and smashed him into the wall. He let out a gasp but managed to keep his feet. "That's how it's done." Siona's voice was completely flat at this point.

"James!" Harry took a step toward his son before Siona's head whipped around and she fixed him with a stare that was trying to bore through his eyes. He raised a shield not a moment too soon. It barely mattered. Siona let out a blast of pure magical energy that rushed toward them like a shockwave. Harry pushed as much force as he could into his shield.

It didn't matter. The next moment they were both flat on their backs staring up at the ceiling, ears ringing. Harry pushed himself up a few inches from the floor and his eyes widened as they fell on Siona's form, now sheathed in a cloak of swirling black energy. It pulsed around her body flowing in thick bands that shifted, faded and reformed constantly. The feeling of dread was palpable now and Harry had to fight not to weep. When she looked down and met his gaze he nearly flinched. Her eyes were also radiating the black energy in a pulsing glow that filled the sockets and much of the area around them.

"It's over Mr. Potter. You were amusing for a time but I have things to finish and you've delayed me long enough." She raised the staff and pointed it directly at him. "Dying on the ground like an animal. It's a pity you weren't good enough to match me." The darkness around Siona seemed to pulse and then focus as it was pulled into the staff.

"That's why he has friends." Everyone looked back toward the doorway to see a man with a white shirt, black slacks and a pair of sunglasses step out of the darkness. "Hello Siona. It hasn't been nearly long enough." Blade and wand appeared in his hands in a moment as he stepped closer.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	28. Ch 27: Silver and Black

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): And here it is. A part of this story I wrote mostly before I finished chapter six.

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Chapter 27

**Silver and Black**

Keystone launched himself from the top of the stairway and sailed through the air with superhuman ease. Landing in a whirl of steel he drove Siona back from Harry and Ron's stunned forms. As he passed Harry felt a solid thump on the ground next to him followed by a metallic chime. Glancing over he found the familiar shape of the sheathed sword of Godric Gryffindor. Overcoming the pain in his body he reached out for the weapon. Grabbing the handle he pulled himself slowly to his feet. Ron rose next to him and stared at the battle before them, wand hovering as he tried to find an opening to cast. Past the duelists Harry could see the shocked form of his son braced against the far wall, unable to move.

A deep breath brought sharp focus to his body and he felt every muscle tense. He needed to save his son. Between them Keystone and Siona whirled and fought, her crackling staff beating back his every attack. Silver arcs of steel clashed with black sweeps, the inherent powers of the wielders conflicting with each blow. Harry quickly glanced around the room. The way the pair darted back and forth at lighting speed there was no way he could safely run from his position at the foot of the stairs to his son. He would have to fight his way through. His wand slipped up his sleeve and out of harms way.

Resolved to action his hand drew the magical blade in a sharp motion. He cast aside the scabbard. That would be useless where he was going. Glancing to his side he shared a quick nod with Ron before his feet launched him forward.

A great swinging strike closed on Siona's back as he approached. Both combatants sensed his advance simultaneously and shifted accordingly. Keystone struck low to stay clear of his swing. Siona twisted the staff and spun both blades away from her. Harry dodged and wove with them, listening to the sword as much as it listened to him. He could fight with the blade and was nearly Keystone's match, but he was out of his depth here. The sword, Godric, was not. For several long moments he held his own and the trio slipped into a deadly dance in which none could gain a clear upper hand.

Siona moved with a terrifying grace and nimbleness. She seemed light as air as she dodged every strike and blocked each attack. At least twice she seemed to fold up completely only to spring forth a moment later in a fresh flurry. Slowly Harry became aware of something he had felt only vaguely before, something that had been hidden by her Dementor like abilities. He could feel raw magical energy pulsing within her. With horror he realized that as powerful as the attacks she had launched against him and Ron were…they were just the merest bit of effort from what she could do. Even Tom Riddle hadn't been that strong.

It had worked. Her plan to absorb the power of other witches and wizards was coming to fruition. Sparing only a moment he glanced over to James, the one who was supposed to have been next. "James! James, can you hear me?" It was perhaps a silly question at the close range but he needed to check if the boy could pull himself together enough to respond. It was several long seconds before the reply came back, ragged and small.

"Y…yes…dad…" That was something anyway.

"Can you move?" The reply again took several seconds during which Harry nearly lost several parts of himself. The boy had pushed himself off the wall and was standing unsteadily on his own two feet.

"Yes…" Okay…time to try something.

"Good. Now…get ready to run…" He had the boy's attention, now he just needed to make an opening. His mind cast around trying to find something he could use. Both physically and magically he was near his limits and still could find no opening in Siona's defenses. There had to be something, somewhere…

As he shuffled back a step his feet brushed aside several chinks that had been blasted out of the wall at some point earlier in the fight. He spared a glance down. Bits of stone. Shards. Chunks. Many of them razor sharp on at least one edge. He could hear Keystone's voice in his head. _Focus_. And then he knew. A shake of his arm in a long practiced motion slid the wand out into his off hand. A twist of the fingers brought it around smoothly to his grip.

Shielding himself with tight parries of the sword he whipped his wand around intently. Streams of magic as fine as threads flowed forth by the hundreds and wrapped themselves around shards of masonry that lay everywhere. Focusing his mind to control so many disparate objects required nearly all of his remaining attention. And then he was ready.

With a slash of his wand that turned into a complicated swirling he pulled every nearby shard of stone up at once and sent them hurtling at Siona in a wave. Between shield and staff she deflected many of the bits but was unable to block all of them and still defend herself against the two swordsmen on either side. "James! Run to Uncle Ron!"

One shard slipped past her walls and sliced along her arm. A spray of unnaturally dark blood followed it. A second repeated the performance on her left leg. Then another. And another. A moment later her defenses collapsed completely as the shards tore across her, swooped up, rolled over her once more and finally clattered across the floor in a slowly settling wave as Harry dropped the spell.

As the dust and blood settled Siona seemed to shimmer for a moment before her form cracked and shattered in a thousand dark pieces that faded instantly to nothingness. In her place stood a young woman with light skin, striking blue eyes, long blond hair and an expression of pained confusion on her face.

She turned to face Keystone and the man stopped stone still. His hands fell to the sides, sword and wand nearly slipping free. If he had eyes Harry could tell they would have been blinking furiously. The man spoke slowly, his voice a whisper. "Jennifer?" Harry recalled having heard the man speak that name at some point but couldn't place exactly where. The woman focused on Keystone as she spoke.

"Alex?" He nodded furiously. "What happened to you?" She looked him up and down and focused on his missing eyes. It took several moments for the man to speak.

"Life. A war. So much. How… What are you doing here?" Her head shook quickly.

"I…I don't know. The last thing I remember I was meeting Siona to…something about a shield charm." She looked around the room, eyes widening as she did so. "What's going on? I…feel like…I've done something terrible." She looked at the walls and ceiling. "Where are we?" Keystone managed to choke out a reply.

"Hogwarts. In Britain." He slid the wand into its sheath and stepped closer. "Is it really you?" Something odd came with his words. Longing. Hope. Actual emotion. The man had seemed a bastion of focus for so long it was confusing to hear such things. The woman nodded.

"Yes." She lowered the staff, apparently unaware she was even carrying it. He stepped closer and reached out as he sheathed his sword.

"I thought…you were dead. I thought…" Harry nearly fell over as he realized the man was trying to cry…and couldn't. "I killed you." She stared at him for a long moment as he reached out and set a hand on her shoulder.

"Why?"

"You…you killed people. You took up the mantle of dark magic. I had no choice." Jennifer shook her head.

"No. I never." She looked around once more. "Siona. She must have done it. Then framed me." Keystone's head had fallen and Harry was unable to say anything. Something was going on here. He was sure of it. He just couldn't figure out what. Harry knew he needed to take the moment to help James but something kept him rooted to the spot. Something was wrong and he needed to be right here. Keystone's voice sounded again, nearly desperate.

"You…you're here. Now. I didn't kill you." He paused for a moment. "But then…who did I kill? Why?" His brow furrowed and Harry was sure his eyes would have narrowed as he focused on the woman. "Why? Why now? Why are you here?" She looked down at his hunched form and smiled an incredibly wicked smile that he couldn't see. She leaned close and spoke right next to his ear.

"To kill you." With a flash the staff came up and smashed into the man's groin, driving him back. The woman took a step forward. As she did so the illusion of a blond slid away to reveal Siona, energy exploding outward, attacking with all she had. Blows and spells rained on the man at point blank range smashing him into the wall and crushing him repeatedly against it. "Just like you killed her. She was a good, if unwitting pawn. Time to pay you back for her loss." As Siona physically and magically beat the life out of the man Harry realized he had a choice to make. Keystone or his son. He made the choice quickly, even if part of him screamed it was wrong.

Sword raised to guard himself, Harry dashed to his son. The boy looked up as if not quite sure who the man before him was. "James." It several moments as Harry let his eyes turn from intense to comforting before the boy responded.

"Yes dad?" He took his son's hand in his free hand.

"Come with me. Quickly." James nodded as Harry began pulling him toward the wall to stay as far as possible from Siona while getting back to Ron.

"No." The word was sharp and deadly as Siona turned from where she was attacking Keystone to see her victim escaping. With a shriek that sounded more than a little like a Dementor she launched into an assault against them.

"Stay behind me! Keep moving!" Turning to face her Harry pushed the boy between himself and the wall. Her first attack tried to stab right through him to James. Barely matching it he deflected the blow into the wall. The momentary recoil allowed them to move a little. With fresh ferocity she lashed at them trying to reach the boy.

From his vantage point behind his much larger father James could only see the hail of blows deflected into the wall all around him and the grunts from those that didn't miss. He could see Uncle Ron at the far side of the room taking careful aim. Gathering every bit of Gryffindor courage he could muster he kept marching toward the red haired man.

"Stupify!" Harry noticed the spells rolling in from where Ron was standing a split second before Siona. It was still enough time for her to block them with shields. Each crackled with black energy, seeming not to block the spells but swallow them. It was just enough however as Harry and James were able to keep moving closer to their goal. With a bellow of rage she launched a blast that sent Ron diving for what little cover was available in the room. A significant chunk of the stairway was demolished by the resulting impact. Free of his interference, Siona's attention returned to the boy. Her iron stare locked onto him past his father.

"No. I've not come all this way to be denied my prize at the last." Her staff flashed a black whirl and she again advanced on them. Harry stepped forward and leveled his sword.

"James…get out of here. Run."

"But…"

"Do as I say." Past her Harry could see Keystone struggling to regain his feet and shake his head clear. "Go." As James began to slide closer to the door Siona lashed out toward him, her blow just being turned aside by Harry's sword. With the fire to protect his son coursing through his veins he commenced a furious counter assault that caught her by surprise. With firm steps and crashing blows he managed to force her back toward the center of the room. Every inch from her goal showed in frustration on her face until it burst forth in a torrent of super powered spells that crashed around and into Harry.

Trapped by black tentacles that spewed from the stone he was unable to block well enough against her assault. Combined with the fatigue from his own offensive Harry left an opening that was quickly exploited. He could only brace himself as several powerful blows cracked across his frame. A mighty final swing sent him hurtling backward nearly to the stairs. Landing hard on his back he could barely move as his eyes rotated up and found James standing nearby.

"Dad…?" Harry forced out words through gritted teeth as Ron entered his vision.

"Run…now." The clash of weapons told him why he was still alive and Siona hadn't finished the job. Keystone had rejoined the battle. Given just a moment he pushed down the pain and rose slightly. He was forced to duck once more as his old professor sailed over his head and crashed heavily into the stairway behind him. "Run."

Rising once more he found Siona painted with rage, magical energy coursing around her lithe frame. James was almost to the door; Ron was moving to protect him. He just needed a few more moments to escape. With all that he had left Harry rose to his feet and charged.

The sword thrummed with the power of his will as he stepped forward, its blade shining as he drew back the weapon. With all that remained of his might he struck. As the first blow was slapped away he whirled, drew his wand in his off hand and fired at point blank range. Dumping everything he could into the spell it crashed against the black magical shell and after a heartbeat shattered it with a tremendous blast.

Surprise was evident in Siona's eyes and it took her several seconds to recover. Had any of them still had enough strength at that moment they likely could have exploited the opening and stopped her. Unfortunately they could barely stand, much less attack. With a viper's speed she stepped up to Harry and grabbed his throat with her open hand. As she did so the bands of magic once more erupted from her body.

"No. Not even you will stop me." Harry felt the life being choked out of him and tried to lift the sword. It felt like a millstone in his hand and he nearly dropped it as his vision became cloudy. Just as he was sure he was going to pass out he suddenly had breath once more as she released him and shouted toward the door. Panting, he rolled his head to see Ron and James had been stopped mere inches from escape by a web of pulsing black energy that filled the doorway. With the same slash of her staff she had sealed the room and thrown Keystone back away from the door. Ron reached out to push through it and was driven back several inches by the resulting blast.

Harry wanted to rise as she stepped forward toward the door but he could find no strength. A look to Ron told him the other man felt the same. Siona was barely winded and they were all but spent. As she walked Harry felt an oppressive force filing the room. Terror, dread…absolute fear. It was like a Dementor only a thousand times as powerful. It was true. What he had suspected was true. Somehow, despite the shear impossibility of it, she possessed the powers of a Dementor.

As the pressure increased the light in the room dimmed and Harry could just make out Ron stepping between Siona and her quarry, his wand raised, a look of final determination on his face. He would go down fighting to his last breath to protect his nephew. One glimpse of his friend's determination gave Harry back just a little will and he struggled to his feet. If Siona was going to kill them all, she'd have to start with him.

She turned as he rose, robes floating with unearthly grace. The staff was somehow even blacker now was indeed drinking in the light in the room. Harry had a mad idea and wasted no time in implementing it. "Expecto Patronum!" If she was connected to the Dementors, it might work. He held the memories of Ginny close as he cast, drawing strength and comfort from them as he did so. Every moment with her flashed through his mind and the one moment he always felt defined her. That he focused on. His griffon emerged and immediately became the room's dominant source of light.

She screamed in a way that made a Dementor seem sane as is came toward her but did not back down. A moment later a small terrier began trying to attack her from behind, its diminutive form bouncing off the coils of energy encircling her body. Ron had picked up the idea and run with it.

Siona's scream turned into one of pain, then anger and finally rage. The two silvery creatures bashed toward her but could make no headway. With a howl she stabbed at the griffon and a dozen threads of darkness shot out to ensnare it. Harry could feel the power of the spell being drained as the creature was crushed and was finally dissipated by the threads. The terrier suffered a similar fate a moment later.

With moves too fast to see much less stop she collected both of them in similar ropes and flung them back toward the door. "You…_dare_…use a patronus against me? I'll make you suffer." She raised the staff to strike, the words of pain forming on her lips, when she suddenly froze in place. Her eyes widened slightly as she turned around. Harry was vaguely aware that the room was brighter somehow, the darkness lessened.

"Siona." It was one word, spoken softly, but it somehow carried power and command. Looking past her Harry found the source of it and the light that was suffusing the darkness. Keystone stood near the middle of the room, implacable calm across his face despite the blood and bruises. He held his sword carefully in both hands and breathed steadily. Harry became aware that the light wasn't just coming from the blade anymore, Keystone himself was glowing lightly. It was a silvery essence that fought the blackness directly, pulsing against it.

Siona stared at him for a long moment before emitting a guttural shriek of rage. In response Keystone merely nodded. Harry could feel something in that glow, a strength, hope, the will to fight on. He rose for what he hoped would be the last time and hefted his weapons. The woman stared at Keystone. "How? How can this be?" He shook his head.

"You. You manipulated her. I always thought it was my blindness that let her fall so far. But it was you all along. I let go of the guilt. And with it? Some of the shadow on my soul. Now come, let us finish this." Her lips twitched for several moments between a frown and a sneer before emitting a shriek.

"DIE!" They charged at each other and black staff once more met swirling silver blade. Harry took several careful breaths as he watched and gripped his own sword tightly. Honorably he should stand aside and let these two battle it out as he had done with his nemesis some many years ago. The victory should go to whichever of them proved the best with no outside interference. Harry looked back at his son, equal parts terror and amazement on his face and then to his friend who gave him a single nod. At last his gaze returned to the fight and followed its movements for a moment as he tightened his grip.

Screw honor.

Following the instincts that Godric had bestowed on his weapon Harry charged and dove into the combat. Though not really able to fight at this level he was just good enough that the sword could do it for him.

As he danced among the pulsing black bands and silver glow that was growing ever stronger he felt an odd sensation. Wizard or not, he was the least powerful thing in this battle. It wasn't a position he was used to and part of him screamed to turn and run. The courage of his bloodline however very firmly told that part to shut the hell up.

There, with the light of hope at his back and the depths of despair at his front, Harry felt for just a moment a strange equilibrium in all things. A balance that was inherent to the universe and everything within it. In that one heartbeat his mind felt the great scope of reality and, for less time than it took to realize it, the underpinning principals of the world.

The thought was gone almost instantly but it left something behind in his mind. He had no time to contemplate it though as the battle raged. He was sure Ron would be trying to break out with James but against that level of power he may in fact be completely useless. He could have tried joining the combat but he had little skill with weapons other than his wand and knew well enough he couldn't match them. Harry could almost sense how he felt. It was a feeling he had known many times. Watching something happen and being unable to do anything about it.

And still the fight continued. Harry had no idea where he was getting this strength but he would use it until he collapsed. Or won. The possibility that they might be the same thing was much closer than it had been. Even dying here could be considered a victory if it gave Ron and James time to escape or Keystone the killing blow.

It was the sword that sensed it and he became dimly aware of it. Something had changed. The fight was reaching its climax. It was almost there… Moments away. But for whose benefit he still didn't know. He pushed as hard as he could to make sure it was his and Keystone's. But try as he might he could find no opening.

And then it arrived. Four beats he somehow knew would end the battle.

One. Siona's staff found an opening and a blast of energy sent Keystone spiraling toward the stairs.

Two. Without aid Harry was overmatched and likewise flung away. As he flew he let his grip on the sword slip slightly and held it as high as he could.

Three. Keystone had landed with his feet bracing into the corners of two separate stairs, his legs absorbing the stress and then allowing him to spring back toward Siona over Harry's flying form. As they passed he reached down, dropped his wand and collected the sword of Godric Gryffindor from Harry's offered grasp.

Four. Unprepared for the attack Siona blocked as well as she could with the staff across her body. Keystone held his hands nearly on top of each other, the blades pointing opposite directions. With a shout her spread his arms out wide. The swords sang against each other as the movement caused them to cross and close like a pair of scissors, neatly shearing the staff in half.

The resultant blast of energy caught Harry as he landed and flipped him onward. With more than a little luck and lightning fast reflexes he landed more or less upright near his son. The sound of metal singing against bone reached his ears and he knew what had happened.

Reaching out he grabbed James with both hands and pulled him close. Wrapping a hand against the back of the boy's head he pushed James's face into the front of his street clothes. "Close your eyes. Don't watch. Please." Harry turned as much as he could before looking back. A clang of metal caught his ears.

The Sword of Gryffindor clattered to the ground next to Siona's hands and the broken pieces of the staff. Keystone stood before her as she stared at the severed wrists oozing black blood. Her entire being shook as she screamed one last defiant shriek. "NO!" Keystone's response was quieter, but no less resolved.

"Die." He drove his sword, charged with the silver glow, directly into her chest and held it as it burst out her back. For a moment the darkness enveloping her form tried to consume the blade but it fought back with a radiance of silver light. Not so much a shout as a thrumming pulse erupted from her that made the very stone ring. And then came a sound Harry remembered all too well. It was a death scream of a being of pure terror. The same scream a Dementor made when killed. But this was a thousand time more powerful. It drove Harry to his knees as he clutched James to his chest.

The sound became so powerful that there was no sound. Only pressure. And in the entire universe there was only him and the trembling boy in his arms.

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(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	29. Ch 28: After

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N):

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Chapter 28

**After**

As quickly as it had begun, the pressure was gone. One heartbeat Harry felt like his skull was going to collapse, and the next it was light as a feather. The sound, the shriek, the power was gone. The deafening noise gave way to deafening silence.

He could feel James against his chest. The boy had buried his head under his father's chin and held him tightly with both arms. Harry slowly patted him on the back trying to calm his trembling form. Gradually the boy settled down a little and took a deep breath. Harry mimicked him and forced his eyes open.

The first thing he found was Ron, hand over his eyes, unsteadily working his way back to his feet using the wall next to the hallway as a brace. The man shook his head clear and looked around. His eyes found the now clear path out of the room at the same time as Harry's before his gaze returned to the room at large. When it did he swallowed audibly and stared to where Harry knew Keystone was standing.

Focus returned for a moment and instinct allowed him to stand and find control of his voice. He pulled James to his feet and turned the boy toward the door. "James, you can open your eyes now. Don't look back." His son did so and raised a hand to wipe the dust from his brow.

"Dad?"

"I'm fine. Uncle Ron is going to take you out of here. To Mary and Gideon." Harry motioned to the hallway with a jerk of his chin. Ron nodded slowly in response.

"But…"

"I'll be along in a moment. I need you to make sure those two are all right. Okay?" The boy hesitated for a long moment. "Please James. I need you to do this." After another second's pause the boy's head nodded and he took a short step forward. Ron moved to his side, his left foot dragging a little, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on James. Your friends are waiting." Together they made their way down the hall and through the doors. Only when they were out of sight did Harry finally turn and see what remained.

The room was a ruin and would need serious repair in the coming days. It looked for a moment that more of the walls were lying in chips and shards on the floor than remained to support the ceiling. In the center of it all, in the middle of the sunken section, Keystone kneeled amidst the carnage.

His sword lay next to him as he looked down at the form of a woman even now growing paler. He had reached out and was cupping one of her cheeks in his hand with what could almost be called tenderness. Harry felt at once like he was intruding in an intensely personal moment. Before he could turn away the man spoke.

"I never wanted to do this. But you left me no choice." Harry swallowed, the only thing he could do, and said nothing. After several more seconds the man reached out and closed Siona's lifeless eyes. He then crossed her arms over her chest, reattached her hands with a binding charm and tucked the broken pieces of the staff under her wrists.

The man rose and turned revealing two extraordinary things. The front of his clothing, usually an impeccably white shirt with perfectly black slacks, had been altered by the magical discharge. The front half of both were streaked with swirls and waves of alternating light silver and black that almost seemed to form a pattern. The second thing was that his glasses were gone. Harry glanced around but could not see them among the debris and so had no choice but to look at the empty sockets in the man's head.

"You okay Potter?" Harry shook himself for a moment.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Keystone nodded.

"Enjoy that while you can." He turned once more, summoned his wand to his hand and waved it over the body. From nowhere a sheet appeared and landed lightly over Siona as her corpse rose to meet it. "I'll take care of this." Directed by his wand the body turned and floated in front of him toward the hallway. Taking careful steps through the destruction he moved toward the door. As he passed Harry put a hand out on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Keystone paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"No. But I'll be better. You might want to sit down." With that he headed on, his lack of vision not stopping him from navigating the floating body through the doors and out. Harry was left to contemplate what the man had said with curiosity. Sit down? He was tired and beaten but he could still stand. Sheathing his wand he took a step toward the center of the room intent on retrieving the sword of Gryffindor.

And then it hit him.

His child had almost been killed.

The absolute realness of the idea finally worked its way through the ebbing adrenaline and hit his brain full force. For the first moment since deciphering Siona's notes what felt like days ago he was forced to fully consider the idea and all of its implications.

Before Harry was even sure what had happened he was sitting against the wall, head nearly between his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. James had almost died. His first born son had almost been murdered before his eyes. For the first time in his life Harry knew, with supreme clarity, exactly what his parents had felt the night they had died. And it reduced him to a blithering wreck.

Images passed though his mind of seeing his own son murdered, what it would do to Ginny, the other children, James's friends, his relatives and most of all what it would do to Harry himself. Each flash tore at his heart and kept him pinned to the wall unable to move.

It took time. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes passed before he could stop the tears and regain his personal control. He took a couple more and used several swipes of his wand to clean himself up a little bit. With a decently firm grip on his actions he collected the sword, placed it back in its scabbard and carried them both back down the hall and out the door.

Passing through the empty room between he struggled though the second set of doors and found a small group gathered there, apparently awaiting him. Mary and Gideon were gone, lead or carried away by the staff. Ron had gone with them. Keystone had also moved on with the body in tow. The first person to meet his eyes was Neville. The man looked him over quickly before offering a small grin and a nod. Harry returned it as his eyes swept to the side. McGonagall stood nearby with Drake, Montoya and Filch. At the Headmistress's direction the latter hurried off to see what damage had been done this time. Her eyes then settled on him.

"Mr. Potter. Your colleague has been good enough to fill us in on the details of this incident. Is there anything you wish to add?" Harry thought for a long moment trying to work out what he might say. Ron would have given a factual rundown from the time he appeared and really very little of substance to the Headmistress had happened before that. Finally he came to an idea that he simply had to express.

"Only that all of the students involved showed exceptional courage in the course of events and represented both their house and school well." She gave him a firm nod but he could see the corners of her moth twitching toward a smile.

"Very well. I may wish to speak to you again later but for the moment I believe I'll see what damage the latest Potter adventure has done to my school." Harry nodded somberly as she passed and disappeared through the doors. A moment later Montoya excused herself to see to Keystone's condition. As she left Drake stepped forward and offered his hand.

"Thank you Mr. Potter. Though as Defense teacher the job of dealing with this kind of thing in the school is technically my job, I don't mind the help one bit." Harry took it and shook as firmly as his battered body could manage.

"Any time Professor. If I've learned anything, it's that one person can rarely handle it all." Drake smiled as he stepped back.

"Indeed. I would have liked to see it though. I hear your skills are quite exceptional. As are Mr. Keystone's." Harry nodded at the assessment.

"Sometimes I'd give it all up for a little peace." Drake nodded once more.

"Quite. Well, I'm sure I'll have some things to tidy up and prepare for in the wake of this. So, by your leave…" He turned and headed out as well, casting the occasional glance back toward the doors. Harry could just hear him mutter as he walked away. "Oh, of all the things to miss…" Harry could only shake his head.

"So…long day?" Neville had stepped closer and cocked an eyebrow in a brazenly flippant manner. Harry almost wanted to slug him. "Here." He held out his hand and offered a small brown object that looked like nothing so much as a piece of dog kibble.

"Neville? What's that?" The man rolled it to the end of a finger and held it there with his thumb. He raised it so Harry could get a better view.

"Something I've been working on. Extract of Winterdeath mushroom, serum of Bearsoul radish, tears of a Mandrake, few other things." Harry looked at the thing with blatant suspicion. He knew almost nothing of Herbology, but none of those sounded exactly healthy.

"So…what is it?"

"Energy tablet. Give you a quick boost for a couple hours. Down side is you crash pretty hard afterward. Eat it. You look like you're about to pass out." Harry picked up the pill and was surprised that it felt like rough chocolate.

"Neville…are you making drugs?" The man raised his hands defensively.

"No. It's an experiment. I've only used it a couple times. It works but it's really hard to make. Not worth the effort really. Unless you really need it. Like you do now." Harry debated the rational for a moment and then considered arguing with Neville some more. In the end he realized he was trying to ignore that the man was right. He was about to fall over.

Taking a breath he downed the pill. A few moments later he felt a fresh surge of vigor traveling through his system. It wasn't anywhere near a high. He didn't even fell overly energetic. But he could keep going now for a while. "Thanks."

"Sure. Now, why don't you head up to the medical ward? I'll keep an eye on things here. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey wouldn't mind looking you over while you're there."

"Oh, shut up." Neville mocked a salute.

"Yes sir, Captain Sir." Harry rolled his eyes and headed toward the hallway out of there. "Oh, one more thing. Luna asked me to ask you for an interview when this was all said and done." Harry stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Did she now? Was this when you were over there…'gardening'?" Harry headed onward before the man could reply. Passing under the hastily erected banner he found a couple overly curious Slytherin students that had apparently slipped away from the curfew looking down the hall past him. Sending them away with a firm word he made his way back out of the dungeons alone.

Emerging once more in familiar territory he quickly crossed the castle to Madam Pomfrey's domain. Pushing through the doors he glanced around the ward. To the right Professor Montoya was helping Keystone drink down a potion. His bruises lessened noticeably as he did so. Behind them a sheet covered a body on one of the beds.

To his left Madam Pomfrey herself was leaning over Gideon's form on another bed and checking him over carefully. On the next bed Ron, Mary and James sat side by side awaiting her verdict. As Harry approached he smiled as he noticed James was fiercely clutching Mary's hand in his own. The girl appeared to be holding just as tight. Working with borrowed energy he stood near them at the end of the bed. "So…how it he?" Pomfrey looked up a moment later with an uncertain eye.

"He'll live." The others let out a breath Harry hadn't noticed they were holding. "It appears to be a simple concussion. He just needs time." Ron raised his hands to his face and drug his fingers down to his mouth as he took a long breath.

"Oh, thank you Merlin." The children looked no less relieved.

"I'll keep an eye on him until he's better." She then turned her attention to Mary and James. "As for you two…I'm also ordering bed rest and observation. You may not be as injured, but you both have more than enough nicks and bruises to warrant it." James's hear whipped around and Harry could see a defiant gleam in his eye.

"But I'm fine. Right dad?" Harry quickly raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"Don't look at me. In this ward, she's in charge." The boy looked momentarily defeated. "Hey, she kept me mostly in one piece. You should listen to her." James nodded with a resigned quirk on his mouth. Ron rose as he did so.

"Well. Everything seems to be in hand here." He looked at Pomfrey. "I'll be back soon." She nodded as if that was the most obvious thing in the world. To her, it probably was. "And now…paperwork." His features gained a look of grim determination. "Shall we?"

"You're leaving?" Harry looked down to see the concern evident in James's eyes. Stepping forward he kneeled in front of his son and took his free hand.

"Yes James. I have to. This is your time at school, not mine. I have a job to do, just like you." He jerked his head to the bead where Gideon lay. "Besides. You really want your dad hanging around when the other kids show up? You can't tell them it was all you if I'm here." The boy grinned and reached out to hug his father firmly. Harry returned the gesture and considered for a moment how much he would have given for this simple act near the end of his first year. "I'll see you at the end of term. Okay?" James pulled back and Harry could see his eyes were slightly moist.

"Okay. See you then dad."

"And Miss Williams, I'll inform your mother what happened. In the broad storkes. I'll leave the details to you." She nodded uncertainly.

"Thank you."

"Of course. Now, I believe you should both be in bed. I'll just leave you to that. Farewell." They said goodbyes as Harry rose and joined Ron for the walk out. "Sure you don't want to stay?" Ron glanced over his shoulder before shaking his head.

"I know I want to stay. But…" Harry nodded as his friend struggled for words.

"It's hard to let go."

"Exactly." As they reached the door Keystone took a step closer. The man had found a length of cloth to wrap around his head and Harry could just make out the faint outline of stylized eyes enchanted on it.

"So…another battle finished. Thanks for the help." Harry and then Ron took the man's extended hand.

"Thank you. You did most of the heavy lifting."

"And you kept her busy until I could." He gestured to the sheet. "So…what do we do with her? Katherine would like to give the families a measure of peace…though I doubt she needs the body for that. Siona has no family I know of. So…?" Harry glanced to his partner then back to the bed. The Ministry could arrange a secret funeral, somewhere in a mostly muggle graveyard. A false name, simple headstone.

"We can take care of it. Bury her somewhere out of the way." Keystone nodded slowly before looking back to the pair.

"Do you actually need the body?" A look passed between the Aurors and Harry shook his head.

"Do I want to know why you ask?" The man's eyebrows moved in a way that indicated thoughtfulness.

"I'll take here back to the States. I know roughly where she was born. I can bury her there." He glanced back to the bed. "Besides, it'll be easier for you if she just disappears." Harry considered the idea for several moments before nodding.

"That's very…considerate of you." He shrugged in response.

"Last respects and all that. She wasn't always like this. Not completely anyway." With a wave of his wand the sheet pulled itself tighter and formed a bag around the body. The form then folded in half. And in half again. It repeated this process until it was small enough to fit into a small wooden box he pulled into existence. Placing the corpse within, he slipped it into his pocket. With a long deep breath he squared his shoulders and faced them.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, it was a pleasure to work with you and the Ministry. Thank you." He extended a hand which they each took in turn. "Mr. Potter, it was worth the trip to see you in action once more."

"And you Alex."

"Take care Mr. Keystone."

"Gentlemen, until we meet again." With a last nod Keystone turned and stepped lightly out through the ward doors with all the surety and deadly grace he had always displayed. The Aurors watched him go, turned a short glance to their children and followed.

Even in the few seconds that took the man had disappeared down the halls. They headed toward the main gates at a slow stumbling walk, each trying to ignore the toll that had been extracted from their own bodies for the benefit of the other. Harry left one hand resting on the hilt of the sword he had buckled around his waist for no other reason than he couldn't lift it off easily. Madam Pomfrey had done a little work on each of them as they had sorted out the details for McGonagall but they would mostly just need rest. And food.

As they neared the doors and the sunlight Harry managed a weak chuckle before the pain stopped him. Ron glanced to the side and cocked an eyebrow at him. Harry noticed the look a moment later. "I was just thinking. The easy part is over. Now comes the real challenge."

"What's that?"

"Explaining this to our wives."

* * *

Harry appeared in the entryway to his home a few minutes later and glanced around. "Harry?" The question, in a voice he recognized instantly as his wife's, came from the front living room. Following it he found her sitting on one of the couches, slightly laying back, in a pose the later months of a pregnancy always enforced on her.

"Yes. It's me." Worry filled her eyes as they flicked over his torn clothes, battered appearance and the sword strapped to his waist. He saw her draw a conclusion in a heartbeat as the pieces slid into place in her mind.

"I…I saw your clock hand…and James's slide to 'Mortal Peril' a little while ago. I tried to get a hold of you…or Ron…or the office. No one knew anything." He nodded somberly at the assessment and carefully sat down next to her. He grasped one of her hands in both of his and took a deep breath.

"We're both fine. Now. Let me tell you what happened…" She fixed him with a level look and waited.

"WHAT?" Ginny's eyes widened as she finally exploded. Harry had made her promise not to yell at him until he had finished. And then he had made the mistake of doing so. Her mouth worked silently for several moments trying to find something to follow it up with. In the end all she found was, "WHAT?"

Her eyes then looked around uncertainly as she considered everything. "Oh, Merlin! James! He almost… you almost… Oh…" Harry sat patiently and waited for her to process it all. It had taken him quite a while to work through the fear and thought of what had almost happened to his son. She was doing it in a much shorter span of time.

At last, after several minutes she took a deep breath and refocused on him. "It's over? He's safe?" Harry nodded slowly and leaned in to hug her. She returned it as firmly as she could. He could just make out her whispering the words 'thank you' over and over as he did so. He knew it wasn't for him. "I should see him. I'm his mother and he almost got killed. I should be there right now." Separating herself she started to rise.

"Sure. If…" Harry was cut off as she let out a gasp and dropped back onto the cushion. He found her eyes a moment later as she winced in pain. "What?" She took another long breath.

"I…I think…" She said nothing for nearly a minute when the wince came again. "Yeah…"

"What?" The pattern seemed familiar but Harry couldn't immediately place it.

"I'm…going into labor." Harry's jaw dropped and he found difficulty in lifting it. He suddenly felt significantly wearier than he had a moment ago. A glance at the clock confirmed his suspicions. The tablet Neville had given him was running out.

"You're sure?" She winced once more before nodding.

"I have some experience with this." Harry struggled to his feet and bit back a curse on the universe's timing. Quickly unstrapping the sword he tossed it aside as he grabbed a folded letter and pinch of floo powder from the mantle. Throwing the powder into the fireplace he tapped the letter and watched as the note to St. Mungo's staff folded itself up into an airplane and shot out into the floo network.

"Dobby!" The elf appeared before him with a crack.

"Sir." He gestured to his wife who had risen and summoned a suitcase from her room upstairs.

"It's time." The elf nodded gravely. The first time he had panicked and nearly exploded in a fit. This time he took it in stride and headed off to take care of things. Harry almost envied him. His own night had just begun.

* * *

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


	30. Ch 29: A Normal Year

Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor any other already copyrighted material.

(A/N): At last, the final chapter. Took long enough. Thanks for reading. A special thanks to those of you who waited this long for me to finish.

* * *

Chapter 29

**A Normal Year**

Harry kept up the rhythm of his hand moving in small circles on Evelyn's back that seemed to be keeping her content. He held her against his shoulder and could just hear the whisper of breath as she slept. He felt a similar level of contentment settling through his body as he sat there holding his two month old daughter. It was a feeling he remembered well from holding each of his previous children.

More through pure stubbornness and unwillingness to show weakness in front of the staff of St. Mungo's than anything else Harry had remained conscious while Ginny gave birth. At this position in his life it was a point of personal pride to wait for his children to arrive and he would be damned if getting beaten to within an inch of his life was going to stop him this time. Ron, who had managed a few hours of sleep before arriving to keep him company, found this to be a somewhat humorous proposal considering the day's events. Harry had refused to back down even as he had tried to eat his coffee and drink the donut his friend had brought. And after his vigil he had been rewarded with the chance to hold his newborn daughter. In an act of supreme mercy Ginny allowed him some rest before they decided on a name. Evelyn Margaret hadn't seemed to mind waiting.

He sat like that for some minutes until a figure appeared in the doorway of the dim third floor room. He could just make out the smile on Ginny's face as she watched him. Once again the room next to their bedroom was in use which always made her happy. After a moment she approached and held out her arms. Harry carefully handed her their daughter. The child fussed a little during the transition but quickly found a comfortable place to continue her nap. Making sure all was well Ginny looked back up at him and spoke in a low whisper.

"Kids are ready. You should get going." Harry nodded.

"Are you sure you want to stay behind?" She nodded slowly.

"King's Cross would be a bit much for her. This fall we'll take her." Harry wasn't sure if Ginny was consciously aware of the slight rocking motion she always developed when holding a newborn but it unfailingly kept the kid happy.

"Okay." He leaned in and kissed her softly. "I love you." He could feel the smile as it grew across her lips.

"Love you too." As Ginny took his place in the chair Harry straightened his clothes and stepped out of the room. His eyes took several moments to adjust to the light in the hall before he looked back. With a last glance to mother and daughter and a wave from Ginny he turned and headed down to the entryway where the majority of his other children were waiting. Though not the momentous event the trip had been in September the chance to ride in a Ministry vehicle and see the busier parts of London always evoked excitement.

With the trio already bouncing in anticipation it took only a moment to bundle them out the door and into the Ministry car waiting out front. As he took his place facing the back window Harry looked over each of their faces. Lily was leaning almost against the glass as they rode probably imagining her trip to Hogwarts that would come in a few months. The twins had their heads together and seemed to be writing on a piece of parchment that kept erasing their words almost as fast as they wrote them. He was about to ask what they were doing when the driver cleared his throat. Robert glanced over his shoulder as he spoke.

"How are things up top these days?" Harry half turned around to face the man.

"Dull. Thankfully." The man nodded thoughtfully.

"Cheers to that. No more psychotic witches roaming around?" Harry shook his head with a rueful smile.

"No. Fortunately. I need a break." Robert feigned being taken aback.

"The great Harry Potter is tired of the action?"

"Don't mind a little action here and there, but the quite times are good too." Defeating Siona had brought him and Ron another commendation from the Ministry and more renewed fame in the press. To the pair of Aurors it had just felt good to be able to close the case. They'd only heard from Keystone and Patinkin once in the two months since. The pair was moving across the States informing families there of what had happened. Harry hoped they could find some measure of peace from it.

"Indeed." The man turned fully back to the road and Harry once more turned to face his children. Harry watched the streets of the city race away from him as he rode and let himself slip into a trance that allowed the drive to pass in a pleasurable calm. He pulled himself back to the world as they arrived at the entrance to King's Cross station heralded by the growing excitement in his daughter's eyes. With Lily needing no guidance Harry concentrated on keeping the twins corralled. It was surprisingly easy as they were otherwise distracted by something they were whispering about. That wasn't good. All he could though was sigh and deal with it when it arrived.

The station was relatively quite and Harry took the time to look it over. For what must have been the tenth time in the last few months he felt a strange bit of nostalgia as he recalled his previous visits to the station. From his first nervous arrival with Hagrid and crossing paths with the Weasleys as he sought in vain for the platform to the last time near his schooling when he had joined his adopted family to await Ginny's return. And then bringing his own child to the station where James had taken his first solo steps into the larger world. All of it brought a grin to his face.

As they neared the entrance to Platform 9 ¾ Harry caught sight of a tall man with red hair glancing around. He smiled as he joined Ron and Hermione near the pillars. They both kneeled and returned hugs from their niece and nephews. As they rose Harry glanced around. "What are you two doing here?" Hermione cocked and eyebrow and tilted her head.

"Picking up Gideon and Rose? Our children? Same reason you're here?" Harry tried to wave off the look in her eye.

"Obviously. What I meant, is why are you here," he pointed to the stone beneath them, "instead of on the platform?" Before they could answer he felt a tug on his coat.

"Come on dad! We're going to be late!" He glanced down to Sirius and then to the barrier eight feet away. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Ron making small motions with his hear toward the pillar while glancing at the kids. Harry refocused on his twins.

"Why don't you go ahead? We'll be right behind you. Lily? Can you keep and eye on them?" The girl nodded slowly and followed the pair through the barrier, a questioning look on her face. He turned back to his friends. "Okay…what's up?" Hermione spoke first.

"Ron told me…you two talked about…us." It took Harry a moment to pull up the conversation from his memory before nodding.

"Yeah. I haven't told anyone if that's what you're wondering. Not even Ginny. I would never…" He drifted off as she shook her head. "What?" She glanced at her husband and received a nod of encouragement.

"We…I wanted you to know that we decided Ron was probably right." Harry considered that for a moment.

"Okay. That's good right?" They both smiled and nodded quickly. "So…?"

"We also wanted you to know you'll have another niece or nephew in a few months." At that both of them broke into wide smiles and Harry's was only a second behind. "And _that_ you can tell Ginny. We wanted to make sure you found out first." Harry found himself hugging her firmly a moment later and shook Ron's hand as he did so.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks." Hermione glanced at the station clock. "Oh! We should get moving. The Express will be here in a moment." With a newfound spring in his step Harry followed them through the brickwork and out on to the platform. As they arrived he could hear a steam horn in the middle distance signaling the arrival of the Hogwarts Express.

As one every person standing on the platform looked up and followed the approach of the bright red locomotive. Harry's eyes sought the students leaning out the windows looking over the faces he recognized as they grew nearer. At last the train ground to a halt on the same metal wheels it had been using for decades.

Older students, dressed mostly in muggle attire, were the first off as their opened the doors and dropped the folding stairs for everyone behind them. It would be their last duty as prefects for the year. As students began to unload Harry's eyes swept back and forth along the length of the carriages seeking his son. About fifty feet away he caught the gaze of Draco doing the same. The man stared at him for a long second before offering a firm nod and just the hint of a smile. Harry returned it before once more sweeping the platform.

It felt strange not to have Ginny by his side at this moment but he would see her soon enough. She was right about the effect it might have on Evelyn though, at the same time, he had sort of wanted to show her off. Well, there would be plenty for time for that later.

After watching several dozen students disembark he found what he sought. James was leading Gideon and Mary down the stairs and along the coach to an attendant that was off loading their luggage onto several carts. Harry waited patiently for the boy to find him. While he waited Lily appeared at his side with the twins in tow. She had her head cocked to the side and was staring at her brother with a strange expression on her face.

"Lily? What's wrong?" She raised her hand and tapped a lone finger against her lips. It was such a look of mature consideration that Harry very nearly felt it was creepy. She stared for a moment more before looking up.

"Just thinking. James isn't allowed to use magic at home…right?" Harry nodded.

"Technically, no. Why?"

"Just making sure." She continued her consideration and Harry was left no choice but to shake it off. Following her gaze he found the trio approaching him, James once more in the lead. The boy had recovered well after the attack. For better or worse he had gained a certain amount of notoriety and fame in the aftermath and Harry had several mental notes to make sure it didn't go to his head.

Gideon had also recovered. He had spent the better part of a week in the medical ward recuperating from the effects of whatever Siona had hit him with and, as Harry understood it, was now being painted as the courageous Gryffindor who had taken a magical bullet for his friend. Since nothing short of a mass pensieve trip would confirm or refute that, it was likely to stick.

Mary had been both the most and the least damaged of the three. While her physical injuries had been superficial the psychological harm of the encounter had shaken her. Harry could relate somewhat. The first two people she had really befriended in her new environment were almost killed in front of her. She had persevered though and Harry could see a gleam of focus and determination in the corners of her eyes now that hadn't been there at the beginning of the year. She was going to be all right.

As the three of them stopped in front of him James looked over Harry and his siblings quickly. As confusion spread across his face he focused on his father. "Where's mum?"

"At home with your new sister. The station's a bit noisy for her." Recognition crossed the boy's face as he nodded slowly.

"Hey dad!" Gideon had spotted his parents and shot past them with his trolley. Harry turned to see him crash into his mother's waiting arms as Rose stepped around her father. A smiled crossed his face as he turned back to his own child.

"So…are you two ready to go? Mary, your mother should be just beyond the barrier." Telling Virginia about what had happened had been strange. Harry had done his best to frame it a way that seemed reasonable but given what was being dealt with he had little success. Virginia had very nearly attempted to pull her daughter out of Hogwarts immediately despite Harry's best efforts. In the end it had been a long conversation with Ginny that had convinced the woman to leave her daughter in school. Harry still didn't know what his wife had said but he was thankful she had.

They both nodded and Harry stepped aside with a grand sweep of his hand to indicate they should lead the way. James hesitated for a moment and then deferred to allow Mary to go first. She was somewhat surprised but took a quick step forward and started off. Keeping all four of his children in front of him Harry brought up the rear. Weaving through the crowd of students and families took a few minutes but Mary managed a fairly straight path. Unlike the start of the year, meetings and greeting now were a quick word or just a nod as students were eager to get home and parents to welcome them back.

As they passed though the barrier she quickened her step once more, pushed herself up onto tip toes and began looking around. A firm glance to the twins prematurely ended the mocking copycat behavior he instinctively knew they were about to perform. Albus froze on the balls of his feet and then dropped back to the ground with a frown.

"Mary!" Harry's eyes found Virginia approaching just after her daughter's had. The girl burst toward her mother and nearly bowled a couple of other students over. Harry felt a smile pulling at his lips as he watched the pair embrace. It turned to curiosity a moment later however when he noticed the person standing beside them. A glance told him James was talking to Gideon for the moment and he could step away as Lily and the twins were busy talking to Rose. He did so and addressed the man standing beside Virginia.

"Fred? What are you doing here?" The man glanced at Harry, Virginia, Mary, his brother and sister-in-law and then through the circuit once more before settling his eyes on Harry and shrugging.

"Oh…business was slow today and I thought Virginia might like some company while waiting for Mary." Harry blinked several times as his mind tried to make sense of what he was seeing. No immediate explanation came to mind.

"O…kay…" Before he could go further he notice Virginia was staring at him with Mary at her side. The woman had a strange expression in her eye that mixed awe, fear and reproach. Understandable. After what had happened she was clearly seeing Harry in a new light. Harry met her gaze with as much serentity as he could manage. "Ms. Williams. Good to see you." She stared at him for long moment before nodding slowly.

"And you Mr. Potter." She paused and glanced at her daughter. "According to Mary your son has invited her to visit during the summer." Harry cocked and eyebrow and turned to glance at James. The boy nervously met his gaze before offering a hopeful smile and looking away.

"Did he now?" As he turned back he could see Mary looking up at her mother, a small hopeful smile also on her face.

"Yes. I can't say I love the idea but they are friends. I wanted to make sure it was all right with you." Harry considered the question for a moment before nodding.

"Of course. We'd be happy to have her. As long as it's all right with you." Virginia didn't look entirely pleased with the idea but nodded nonetheless. Mary looked ecstatic.

"Thank you Mr. Potter!" Harry smiled at the girl and gestured to his son.

"I'm sure James will write soon with an invitation. He might even wait until tomorrow." Mary shot off to tell James the news and say goodbye. As Harry turned back he found Virginia staring at him with a look of hard focus in her eyes. There was something vaguely resembling one of Mrs. Weasley's disapproving glares in it. Harry's eyes shot back and forth for a moment before settling. "Yes Ms Williams?" She continued the stare for a long moment before speaking, her voice growing harder as she continued.

"I don't know a lot about magic Mr. Potter, but I do know a lot about people. And I know that you are dangerous." Harry felt momentarily taken aback by the statement. He knew he tended to end up in dangerous situations and that his life had been anything but harmless, but he had never viewed himself as personally unsafe. "And I just want you to know, that while I won't stop my daughter from attending Hogwarts or spending time with your family…if anything happens to Mary and you're involved, I don't care how powerful you think you are, I will hunt you down and I will make you bleed."

The absolute iron resolve in her words made Harry blink numerous times and he noticed Fred was doing much the same. He took several moments to attempt to stammer out a response. "Virginia…I would never…" She cut him off with a quick slashing gesture of her hand.

"No. Not intentionally. I just want you to understand. Where my daughter is concerned, anything that happens has consequences." Harry blinked again and slowly composed himself. After several moments he nodded solemnly.

"I understand." She gave what almost be a nod of respect.

"Good." She held the glare for a moment before her face melted into a smile as Mary returned. Harry cut a glance ot Fred who still looked shaken and managed an infinitesimal shrug of his shoulders probably trying to indicate he had no idea she was planning that. With careful goodbye's Harry bid the trio good day and returned to his children. As he did so Hermione and Ron departed with their kids in their wake and Gideon promising to visit soon. Harry rolled his eyes as he watched them go and noticed Ron was mimicking the action. Well, he could hardly blame Gideon. He and Ron had been much the same at his age.

Virginia and her daughter left a moment later with Fred beside them walking at a not quite intimate distance away. Harry still found that odd. Fred was hardly the type to take time away from the stores for a random person he had met once at a Christmas party. Clearly something more was going on.

Shrugging it off onto his ever growing pile of things to think about later Harry closed in on his offspring. As he approached the twins were teasing their brother about his 'new girlfriend' while Lily merely rolled her eyes. So there were at least three people in the house that wouldn't let him get away with playing the hero all summer.

Glancing around Harry found that the platform was nearly deserted. The barrier had likely solidified by now and he could just make out the last couple families heading toward the exit. For a moment he thought he felt an unnatural chill and nearly drew his wand. Then he realized a train further down the line had just opened a refrigerated box car.

"Dad? Everything okay?" James had a hand in one of his bags where his wand was likely resting and was looking around. Harry waved it off while admiring his son's keen eye.

"Everything's fine James. My mistake." The boy relaxed and drew out his empty hand. Harry glanced around once more. "So…shall we?" Stepping aside he let Lily lead with the twins behind her. He fell in next to James as the boy pushed the trolley toward the front doors of King's Cross. As they walked Harry settled back down. Alert was fine. Jumpy was bad. To distract himself he looked down at his son. "So James, what do you think of your first year at Hogwarts?"

The boy considered the question for several seconds and Harry could see the thoughts playing over his eyes. A quick hand kept him from running his own siblings over with the trolley. At last James refocused and looked up at his father. "I can't wait to go back!" After another moment's consideration he added, "But I hope next time it will be a normal year at Hogwarts."

Harry started laughing. It was loud, pure and felt good. It lasted for some seconds and he was getting strange looks from the muggles nearby. Eventually even his children started staring at him with quizzical expressions. James was the first to ask.

"Dad? What is it?" Harry managed to contain himself and spoke through a grin.

"James…that _was_ a normal year at Hogwarts!"

* * *

(A/N): And that is the end. This one took a lot longer than it should have but I think the results were almost worth it. Thanks for reading. Later.

(A/N): If you feel it is warranted go ahead and review. I welcome any and all opinions.


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